


By The Sea

by amybri2002



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Big Bang Challenge, Human AU, M/M, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, he'd somewhere in between, i mean he's not perfect of course but he's not abusive so, idk if i'd call it sympathetic tho, just a chill summer romance thing yeet, seems like it is leading up to a sad or bittersweet ending but i promise its happy, there will be some tears and self doubt and stuff but honestly it's mostly fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-13 00:23:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 24,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20165095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amybri2002/pseuds/amybri2002
Summary: Virgil's life may be going downhill, but at least he still has his island and he still has the sea. However, when he meets a certain writer staying in the hotel he works at, it appears that something more important has arrived.Roman's life seems to be going great, but he knows that soon all that may change. He has travelled to this island, along with this two best friends, to focus on his work, but when he meets a certain guy that he's sure he recognises, how can he focus on anything else?And with only twelve days on the island together, will they be able to make it work?





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you for clicking on this fic. 
> 
> This was written for the Thomas Sanders Bjg Bang over on Tumblr, and boi did it take a while so I hope that y'all enjoy this. My Tumblr url is @gaylotusthatexists, the first chapter has also been posted there.
> 
> @justisaisfine made some beautiful pieces of artwork for this fic which you can find through the link below, seriously guys go follow them, their art is amazing.  
https://justisaisfine.tumblr.com/post/186906858487/these-were-all-drawn-for-the-ts-storytime-to
> 
> As far as I'm aware, there isn't anything in this that would be particularly triggering, but if y'all spot anything please let me know and I'll put up a warning. At the very worst there is some negative thinking and crying, but it's mostly fluff honestly. 
> 
> There are some bits that are in Spanish and I would like to apologise in advance for the terrible Spanish, I used Google Translate which I don't really trust but I also don't speak Spanish so y'know. If any of y'all are Spanish-speaking and know a better translation, please let me know, I'd really appreciate it. At the bottom of each chapter containing Spanish I have put a translation. 
> 
> Anyway, I think that's all I have to say? Hope y'all enjoy it! I certainly enjoyed writing it, haha 
> 
> <3

**00:09 **

The sea shimmered in the moonlight, thousands of stars reflecting off its gentle waves. Pulling his hoodie tighter around his body, the boy exhaled. This was his home, his true home - the sky and the ocean and the island. Sat here by the sea, he could feel the wind brushing past his cheeks and the water washing over his feet. He could have stayed there, in that single moment, forever and ever, and he'd never grow tired of the feeling.

But it was late and he had to get back to the apartment. He couldn't stay out here all night, not when he had to be up so early for work in the morning. Sure, the chances of him actually sleeping were slim, but it was better resting inside that out. And he needed rest to be ready for tomorrow.

Glancing up to the sky for one last look before returning to reality, he saw a flashing light moving across the black. All he could do was sigh. That would be a plane, filled with visitors. People who come to the island to catch sun or whatever they do. People who Virgil would have to deal with for a couple weeks before they exit stage left. People who probably won't even notice that Virgil had a life of his own.

But hey, they're also the people who pay the bills, so could Virgil really complain?

This was his life. He had to deal with idiots like that for a while, but at least he had _this_. He had his island, and he had the sea.

Virgil stood up and started the journey into his future.

**6:00 **

A blaring alarm jolted Roman out of bed and, for a moment, all he wanted in life was death - not specifically his own.

"Who the hell set an alarm?" he groaned, sitting up and rubbing his forehead. The horrendous sound still rung out through the room, hammering into his skull, until it was finally cut off and Roman was able to breath.

"That would be me," Logan said, casually. He was already out of bed and heading into the bathroom. "We've got to get on if we want to get breakfast."

Roman sighed, closing his eyes again. "Logan. We're on holiday. We're supposed to be relaxing. Not getting up at six am."

Logan poked his head out the door. "The restaurant opens at seven, Roman."

"That doesn't mean we have to be _there _at seven," Roman argued, lying back down and pulling the sheets over his head.

"If we get there first, we're more likely to receive better food, and as you know, breakfast is the most-"

"Yeah, yeah, most important meal, you say this every day," Roman said. "Can't we just, like, grab a quick brunch later on?"

Logan sighed. "No, Roman. That is not how any of this works." He slammed the door shut.

A few moments, maybe minutes, later, Roman peeked out from under the blankets. "Pat?" he whispered.

No response. Patton must have still been asleep. Of course Patton would be the one who got to sleep through the alarm and the argument.

Roman turned onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. It seemed as though he wouldn't be getting back to sleep anytime soon. All whilst Patton was laid there still sound asleep. That was so, so unfair.

He couldn't really do anything, though. Patton has always been a heavy sleeper, unlike Roman. And he supposed that Logan had a point - getting up early would certainly help with this work, since they hadn't _just_ come here for a vacation. Whilst the promise of sun had been one of the deciding factors, the actual reason that the three boys had travelled to the island was to get away from city life and focus on their work - Logan was studying some science mumbo-jumbo that Roman didn't understand, Patton was hoping to work on his photography, and Roman needed to get this goddamn novel finished. A quiet, whilst kind of touristy, place like that seemed like the best place for them to focus, and in the case of the other two actually added to their work.

That didn't mean Roman was okay with getting up so early, though. Not after he spent God-knows-how-long travelling and then only getting around three hours of sleep. Maybe the next day it would've been fine, but he seriously doubted he would be able to focus at all today.

There was no harm in trying, though. If all else failed, he could always take a nap later on. But for now, he had to focus on his plan. He was in for the adventure of a lifetime, and he _wasn't _going to waste it.

**8:09 **

Virgil stumbled into the kitchen and grabbed his coffee mug, chugging the entire thing in one go. This morning he would be working on pure caffeine and spite, which perhaps wasn't the best idea when he was supposed to look happy for the 'guests', but if it got him through the day then so be it. Upon realising that his cup was empty, he grabbed the one next to it, not bothering to check who's it was, and chugged that too.

"Remy isn't going to appreciate you drinking his coffee," one of Virgil's roommates said, from the other side of the kitchen.

Virgil put the cup back down and looked over at Emile, who was sat crosslegged on top of the counter sipping his cup of hot chocolate. "What a shame." He began pouring out another cup of coffee.

"Are you doing okay, buddy?" Emile asked, jumping down from the counter and stepping towards him. "'Cause, uh, that's an awful lot of coffee."

"If I don't drink this, I'll end up punching a dude, and then I'll lose my job again. Which I can't afford to do."

Before Virgil could drink a third cup, Emile gently pulled it out of his hand. "Virgil, you're going to end up killing yourself."

"Oh no," Virgil said in monotone, trying to get his coffee back but being unable too as Emile held it out of his reach.

A third person came strutting into the room and snatched the coffee out Emile's hand. "Was Virgil trying to steal my coffee again?" he asked.

Emile smirked. "He did steal your coffee. And then made another one."

Remy faked annoyance. "How dare he."

Virgil just sighed.

"Well," Emile said, "I should get off. I've got a client at ten."

Remy smiled and planted a small kiss on Emile's forehead. "Good luck, Em."

"Ew," Virgil said.

"This is our apartment, I'm allowed to kiss my boyfriend," Remy said, as Emile moved away towards the front door.

"I also live here," Virgil reminded him.

"Only because your poor," Remy countered.

"I make more than you."

"And Emile makes more than both of us combined."

Virgil considered that for a moment. "I mean, yeah, I guess."

"When_ you_ get yourself a rich significant other, then you can move out and you won't have to watch us be gay." Before Virgil could reply, Remy left the kitchen.

Shaking his head but allowing a small smile to creep out, Virgil grabbed his backpack and left the apartment.

**9:32**

"Why are we up so early?" Patton moaned, as the three of them walked out of the hotel.

"We've gone over this, Patton," Logan said. "We have to make the most of our time here."

"We have almost two weeks, Logan, _surely _we can spare a day to rest," Patton argued.

"You're not allowed to complain," Roman chimed in. "Since, y'know, you got an extra hour of sleep."

"Speaking of," Logan continued, "I set an alarm for a reason. It would be great if, in the future, you both got up at the designated time."

Patton sighed. "Alright, Logan."

Logan smiled. "Thank you for understanding, Patton."

**9:35 **

Virgil glanced at a group of three boys making their way out of the hotel as he made his way in. He could tell they were new arrivals from their pale complexity - and from the fact he hadn't seen them around yet. They might have been on last nights plane. But if that were the case, why were they up so early?

Maybe they were the type to get out and do things. Which was good for Virgil, because that just meant less people to slave after. Although, they did seemed to be the loud type, judging by the fact that he could hear their conversation perfectly, which he did not care for at all. Perhaps they would be a problem later on.

Not that any of that mattered. It wasn't as if any of them would talk to him. Properly, he meant. They weren't going to walk up to him and willingly start a conversation. No one ever did. They would just get what they need off him and then leave him be.

"You're late," someone said, as soon as Virgil stepped foot into the lobby.

He sighed. "My shift doesn't even start until ten." He walked up to the counter and leant his arm on the side, looking up to the person who had spoke, the manager. He was wearing a black and yellow suit, with a waistcoat, a bowler hat and a bowtie - over the top, really, for a less-than-fancy hotel in middle of nowhere. Down one side of his face, he had a scar surrounded by burn marks, from some mysterious tragedy he refused to talk about. Virgil had met him a couple years after said tragedy, and had been somewhat-friends with him for some time. Of course, that didn't mean he wasn't still a harsh boss.

The manager - Declan - smiled. "You're meant to arrive at half nine."

"I know, I know." Virgil shrugged. "But five minutes doesn't hurt."

"Sure," Declan dragged out.

"So, what's the deal?" He leant back. "Who we got this week?"

"Not a lot of visitors," Declan admitted. "Mostly people on business."

"Cool." Virgil breathed out. "I'll go get changed."

"Why don't you ever get changed at home?" Declan wondered.

Virgil shrugged. "You have a changing room here. Might as well make use of it."

"Is it because you don't like walking here in uniform?" Declan guessed, sensing that Virgil was lying.

"You got me." Virgil smiled. "See you in twenty."

"It doesn't take that long to-"

Virgil had already left the room before he could hear Declan finish.

**19:26 **

"Can I take your order?"

Roman looked up at the waiter and all words fled from his mind. The man was perfect. His soft, dyed purple hair swooped in front of his deep brown eyes, which were outlined by a thick layer of black eyeshadow, kind of smudged after the long day. He had dark, smooth skin, but chapped lips, and he looked like a mess, actually, but for some reason Roman was drawn to him and only him. Everything else seemed to fade away. It was just him.

Logan nudged Roman.

Roman continued staring.

The man walked away.

Roman's world came back.

"Roman?"

His head shot to the source of the voice - Patton. "Huh?"

"You alright?" Patton asked.

Roman blinked. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine, why?"

"You didn't speak when he asked for your order," Logan said.

Roman frowned. "I..."

He breathed in. He had never felt that before. Never lost control over his words.

But... maybe that wasn't bad. Maybe something great was about to happen.

He had to see that man again.


	2. Day Two

**10:08 **

Roman breathed in the clean air as he walked through the park, down towards the town. The other two were still up at the hotel, doing God-knows-what. After the previous night, he needed some time alone to think. A walk around the island seemed to be a good way to do that. Taking a walk always seemed to make him feel better. It definitely had nothing to do with that waiter he had met the night before.

Yes, he just wanted to go for a walk. He was not going out to search for the waiter. He _just wanted a walk_. If he did happen to come across the waiter, then that would be a plus, but that was definitely not the reason that he was coming out.

He hadn't come to this island to meet people, anyway. He had come to get away from his normal life. He had come to find the peace necessary to get in with work and write his damn novel. Perhaps this walk around the town could be used to find a nice writing spot. A nice coffee shop, perhaps, with a cosy corner by a bookshelf, where he could sit and relax. Or a park bench under a tree, just out of direct sunlight. Or a rock by the sea that he could climb on top of and listen to the waves as words came tumbling out the deepest corner of his mind. Yeah, he could search for that special place in this walk.

Finding that waiter would just be a bonus. If he stumbled into him at that hypothetical coffee shop or park or beach, then that would be awesome, but it wasn't as if he was _looking _for him. Even if that was all his heart wanted to do.

**10:16 **

Patton nuzzled closer to Logan, his arms wrapped tight around Logan's waist. Logan presses his lips against Patton's forehead. The two laid back together on the double bed. It was quarter past ten and Roman had left them alone, meaning they were going to take all the chances they had to be close to one another.

"Don't you think it'd be easier if we just told Roman about us?" Patton wondered.

Logan hummed. "I suppose."

"So why don't we do it?"

"You know Roman," Logan said. "He can get a little... envious."

"What's wrong with that?" Patton asked.

"If he finds out about us, he'll just feel more alone," Logan explained, "and that would be tiresome for all three of us."

Patton rolled away from Logan, now laying on his back and staring at the ceiling. "But it's even more tiresome having to keep this a secret."

"Well, you're quite an affectionate person," Logan stated. "I'm sure Roman wouldn't find it too strange if you displayed public acts of affection to me, especially since he tends to be oblivious to most things."

Patton contemplated that for a second. "But you're not affectionate," he countered. "Roman would find it strange that you were letting it happen."

"Fair point." Logan turned on his side to face the love of his life. "Maybe when he gets a boyfriend we can tell him."

Patton's eyes widened. "A boyfriend," he repeated.

Logan frowned. "Yes, that's what I said."

"There was that waiter yesterday," Patton continued. "When he spoke Roman got all flustered. Y'know, like how he acts around cute boys."

Logan blinked. "Patton, are you suggesting that we should try to get those two together?"

Turning over to face Logan as well, Patton grinned.

Logan smiled back. "You are a genius." He leant forward and pecked his lips, which led to Patton pulling Logan into a deeper kiss. Their two hearts fluttered around each other, in perfect harmony, beating in sync.

**11:34 **

Roman had found himself in a coffee shop, taking a break from his search for that-

From his search for a writing spot. Not a search for that waiter. A search for a writing spot.

Seemingly out of a nowhere, someone sat down at his table. "Hey girl," the stranger greeted. "_Pareces frustrado._"

Roman sighed. "_Estoy frustrado._ _He estado buscando todo el día por algo y no lo encuentro por ningún lado._"

"_Bueno,_" the stranger said, "_el día aún es joven._"

Roman looked up, and frowned upon seeing the stranger. "Why are you wearing sunglasses indoors?"

The stranger frowned back. "Why are you speaking English all of a sudden?"

Roman hesitated for a second, which was unlike him. "Oh, _lo siento, ¿por qué llevas gafas de sol en el interior?_"

"You're not from the island, are you?" the stranger guessed.

"No, I only just arrived yesterday morning," Roman told him.

He sighed and took a big gulp of coffee. "And yet, you're fluent in Spanish."

"I was born in Spain," Roman told him. "Lived there until I was three."

"Ah." The stranger propped up his elbows on the table, leaning his chin on his hands. "So, what exactly are you looking for."

Again, Roman hesitated. Because whilst he kept telling himself that he was looking for a writing spot, he knew that wasn't true. And maybe this stranger, who was presumably from the island, could help him. "I'm looking for someone. A guy I met in the hotel last night."

"Does he work there?" the stranger asked.

"Yeah."

"What hotel?"

"The Palace Hotel."

The stranger nodded. "He's probably at the hotel right now. The manager likes all employees to be there for half nine sharp."

"Do you know the manager?" Roman asked.

"Yeah. We used to be friends." He brought his hands down to his knees. "Who is it that you're looking for?"

"I don't know his name," Roman admitted.

"In that case," he said, standing up, "I can't help you. _Adios._" The stranger walked away, leaving Roman alone once again.

**18:09**

With his search proving to be a failure, Roman had decided to wait until dinner, when he would surely see the waiter in the restaurant. Perhaps if the waiter came to serve them, he could ask for his name, or a number, or anything at all that would prove his interest. It would be exactly how Roman imagined it - they would look at each other and smile and fall in love just like that, realise that them not speaking the night before had been a mistake, realise that they were meant to be together. It would be perfect, Roman was sure of it.

But when the waiter showed up, things didn't exactly go to plan.

"Can I talk your order?" the waiter asked.

This time, Roman was able to give his order without screwing up, but the waiter was gone before he got chance to say anything else. He slumped back in his chair.

"Are you alright, Roman?" Patton asked.

"I can't," Roman replied.

Patton frowned. "What do you-"

"I can't do this. I can't express my feelings and I hate it."

Patton hummed. "Is this about the waiter?"

Roman nodded.

"Just do it," Patton suggested. "Speak from the heart. You'll know what to say."

"But my heart's confused."

"Then give it time."

Roman considered that. _Time. _How dumb was that? He didn't have time. He only had ten more days until he had to go home. That wasn't enough time to figure out what to say. He needed to act soon. He needed his heart and his mind to work together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPANISH TRANSCRIPT:  
Stranger: You look frustrated.  
Roman: I am frustrated. I've been looking for something all day and I can't find it anywhere.  
Stranger: Well, the day is still young. 
> 
> Roman: I'm sorry, why are you wearing sunglasses inside?


	3. Day Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SPANISH TRANSCRIPT:  
Virgil: What does this weirdo want?  
Roman: To talk to the most beautiful man here, of course. 
> 
> Roman: Maybe
> 
> Virgil: Bye, weirdo!

**5:31 **

The sound of waves soothed Virgil's worries, as he swirled his fingers in the sand, occasionally lifting some up and letting it fall through his hand. The beach was empty and the sun was just rising over the horizon - the perfect time to be laid by the water, taking in the view and breathing in the salty air. Nothing could be more relaxing, more beautiful, more perfect.

For a moment, Virgil could almost forget the real reason as to why he had come. He could pretend that he had just decided to enjoy the peace and quiet for a while, before having to head to work, and that he had gotten up extra early to do so, which was obviously a thing that this version of Virgil would do. He didn't have to think about the fact that the real reason he had come was that he couldn't sleep the night before because _that guy _was on his mind and he couldn't get the thought away.

He really shouldn't have been thinking so much about that guy. Virgil didn't even know his name. He'd probably never find out his name, either. Guests didn't tend to socialise with employees. Besides, that guy was with a group of people - friends, probably, maybe even family - who he'd be able to talk to whenever. Why would that guy even need to talk to Virgil? Why would he want to?

But Virgil couldn't get rid of that feeling. The feeling that only comes about once in a lifetime. The feeling that maybe, just maybe, everything is starting to fit together. The feeling that maybe his life is going to start putting itself back together, piece-by-piece. The feeling that he'd finally found the missing puzzle piece that he needed to see the whole picture. The feeling that they were one and the same, that they were the puzzle pieces that fit together, that they were meant to be.

And something lurking in the back of his mind told him that this wasn't the first time he'd felt this way. That, somehow, he had met that guy before, and now fate had finally done its job properly and allowed the two halves to meet.

_No, _Virgil had to tell himself. _That's insane. Can't be true. He's leaving soon anyway. It's not like you're gonna see him enough to form any kind of relationship. He doesn't care about you. _

Maybe that voice wasn't entirely Virgil's, and maybe it was a little harsh, but it was true. Virgil couldn't deny that. That guy couldn't possibly care about Virgil. They were from two different worlds, two different lives, two different places. It wouldn't, couldn't work. Especially not in such a short amount of time.

But if Virgil knew that was the truth, then why hadn't his heart given up yet? Why was part of him _so certain _that it could work out? Why couldn't he shake off the feeling that the two had met before? Why couldn't he get rid of all the thoughts telling him that they were a part of the same world?

"Hey," an unfamiliar voice said.

Alarmed, Virgil shuffled away and looked down, avoiding any eye contact with the stranger. Maybe they would get the idea and leave him alone. He tried his best to keep his breathing under control, hoping and praying for the stranger to just _go away_, but they never did.

"You work in the Palace Hotel, right?" the voice said.

Virgil bit his lip, refusing to say anything. Maybe if he just stayed absolutely silent, the stranger would give up and go away. But instead, they just sat down next to him and continued bothering him.

"You're that waiter, right?" the stranger said, guessing correctly. "My friend won't shut up about you, y'know."

_What friend? _Virgil wanted to shout. _Who are you? Why are you talking to me? _

"I'm Logan, by the way," the stranger introduced.

Virgil didn't respond. His eyes fixated on a single shell half-buried in the sand. Could the stranger - Logan - not tell that he was uncomfortable? Was it so difficult to realise that he didn't want to talk to anyone?

"I'm actually here for research," Logan continued. "You live here, don't you? Do you happen to know if-"

"What the hell is your problem?" Virgil exclaimed, unable to hold his thoughts back any longer.

Logan immediately shut up.

"I don't know you. Why are you speaking to me?" Virgil closed his eyes, immediately regretted saying anything at all. The long silence made everything so much worse. He just wanted to sink deep into the sand and never be seen again.

"Well," Logan said, "you looked lonely, I guess."

"Maybe I wanted to be alone," Virgil grumbled.

"Also, as I mentioned before, my friend will not shut up about you."

Virgil frowned. "What friend?" For the first time, he looked up at Logan, and his eyes widened with realisation. "Wait. You mean that guy who was trying to flirt with me last night?"

Logan nodded. "Yes, him. His name is Roman."

"Roman," Virgil repeated. "God. Are you, like, trying to hook me up with him?"

"No, no, of course not," Logan quickly said. "Roman can handle that himself, if he so wishes."

Virgil sighed. "Seriously?"

"I apologise," Logan said. "Trust me, I'm not exactly a huge fan of the way Roman is acting either."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Virgil looked away again. "Please don't tell him that you've spoken to me. I... I don't want anything to happen, okay?"

Logan stayed silent for a moment, before asking, "Are you straight?"

At first, Virgil didn't know how to respond to that. However, Logan seemed to take his hesitation as a 'yes'.

"I'm sorry, that was probably rude of me to ask. I understand if Roman isn't the type-"

"I'm undecided," Virgil interrupted, deciding that he wanted to avoid this topic all together. "But, uh, even so, I couldn't... I'm sorry. It's, uh, against company policies, and stuff. And you're, like, leaving soon anyway. I don't want to start something only to..." He trailed off, but Logan seemed to get the idea.

"I won't talk to Roman about this," he promised. "To be perfectly honest, I wasn't expecting anything to come out, anyway." He stood up. "I'll leave you to watch the ocean. I do also find the waves to be... calming."

And with that, Logan left the site, so that Virgil was alone on the beach once more. He frowned as he thought about those last words, but decided not to think about it. Logan was gone and that meant Virgil could breathe again. That was all that mattered. Nothing would happen between him and Roman. Everything would be okay.

**13:09**

"Emile," Remy moaned, his voice lingering on the final syllable for far too long. "C'mon!"

Emile sighed, but failed to hold back a fond smile. "I can't come, starlight. I have a patient in twenty minutes."

Remy grabbed his boyfriends hand and pulled him out of his seat, almost effortlessly. "But I missed you."

"It's been less than three hours since we saw each other, my star," Emile reminded him.

"That's too long." He was already half-way out the door, dragging a giggling Emile with him.

As the two made their way around a corner into the alley between Emile's workplace and a coffee shop Remy just happened to visit regularly, Emile continued, "I really don't have-"

Before he could finish, Remy had pushed their two lips together, and Emile immediately melted into the kiss. Remy wrapped his arms around Emile's back, bring his hand up to stroke through his soft hair. Emile wrapped his arms around Remy's waist, half tempted to pick him up and swirl him around, but decided not to due to the small space.

When the two, unfortunately, pulled apart, they just smiled at each other, completely smitten.

"Is _that _why you were so desperate to get me out of work, moonshine?" he asked.

Remy rolled his eyes. "Nope. I don't know what you're talking about." His sarcasm, however, was lost, due to the huge grin spread across his face. "I need a coffee."

He walked past Emile, out the alleyway, and turned towards the coffee shop next door. Emile couldn't help but laugh. "You get your caffeine, you little sleeper!"

"Little sleeper makes no sense!" Remy called back.

"It's true, though! Your small, and you like to sleep."

Remy paused for a moment. "I'm taller than you."

"My point still stands," Emile said. "Go take a nap."

"Fine," Remy said, entering the coffee shop and disappearing from sight.

For a moment, Emile just stood there, smiling, before his phone buzzed in his pocket and his eyes widened. His patient. They were due in ten minutes. He quickly returned to his building and went into his office, sitting down amongst his various plushies and waiting for his next patient - Elliott, he believed - to arrive.

**17:48 **

Roman repeatedly tapped Patton's arm, as his heart rate began to speed up. "Look! Patton! There he is!"

"Who?" Patton asked, his head turning in all direction to scan the area.

"That waiter guy!" Roman exclaimed, grinning. "Look, he's standing over the bar."

Patton squinted. "Oh yeah!"

"I'm gonna go talk to him," Roman declared.

Patton frowned. "But Logan-"

"Who cares what Logan has to say," Roman interrupted. "He isn't here." He began to make his way over to the waiter.

"Roman," Patton called, "Logan told me that-" But he was already at the bar before Patton could finish.

Standing next to the waiter. Roman leant one arm on the bar. "Hey."

The waiter looked up, a frown upon his face, until he saw Roman and rolled his eyes. "_¿Qué quiere este bicho raro?_" he mumbled, clearly to himself.

Roman grinned. "_Para hablar con el hombre más hermoso aquí, por supuesto._"

He blushed. "You speak Spanish."

"_Tal vez._" Roman's head twitched as he spoke.

He sighed. "Why am I not surprised?" Before Roman could respond, he continued, "What is it that you want?"

Roman straightened his back. "I was wondering if you'd like to-"

"Nope," the waiter interrupted, popping the 'p'.

"You didn't even let me-"

"I can't... become friends with you, or whatever," he stated. "If you want me to go anywhere with you, I'm sorry, but I can't. It's against policies, and I really can't afford to lose another-"

"What about when you're off work?" Roman asked, not at all caught off guard by the waiter's seemingly psychic knowledge on his plan.

The waiter closed his eyes and breathed out, before opening them and smiling at Roman. "I don't want to risk it."

"Some people are worth the risk," Roman suggested.

"But the risk is hardly worth the consequences." He grabbed two glasses off the side of the bar and stepped away. "And right now, those consequences could destroy me."

Roman frowned. "What are you-"

"_¡Adiós, bicho raro!_" And like that, the waiter disappeared once again.

**23:09**

That night, Roman lay awake in bed, thinking about the mysterious waiter. The fact that Roman just couldn't get him off his mind was driving his crazy. Who gave this stranger the right to make Roman lose himself like this? It hadn't gone well earlier. Roman knew that. He knew that he had lost his chances with the handsome stranger. He knew that there was no coming back from that. He could try, but he wasn't going to lie to himself.

Still, if he _knew _it was all over, why couldn't he stop thinking about him? And why did the memory of the strangers face seem to blend into another. A memory of a kid, lonely by the sea, watching the moon rise over the waves. A memory of himself sitting next to this kid and watching the stars shine on the ocean with him. A memory of the two of them talking deep into the night, learning each other's deepest secrets and hidden desires. A memory of the two of them being torn apart by fate, only for them to be sown together again by the stars.

With those memories circling his mind, Roman drifted off to sleep, but the image of him still refused to leave.


	4. Day Four

**00:03 **

"I'm having a crisis," Virgil announced as he entered the apartment, chucking his bag to one side.

"Shh," Emile said from the sofa. "Remy's sleeping."

Virgil walked further into the room and sat down on an armchair, looking over at Remy snuggled close to Emile, more peaceful than he'd ever been before. "Remy's always sleeping," Virgil said, trying and succeeding to keep his voice as quiet as possible.

"He hasn't slept for a few days, actually," Emile told him. "You know what he's like. He either sleeps for a week straight or only sleeps three hours in a month."

"You need to sort out your boyfriend," Virgil said, as he took off his shoes and brought his feet up onto the armchair, sitting cross-legged.

"I've tried to tell him to stop drinking so much coffee, but he never listens." Emile sighed. "He came round to my office earlier, actually. I have a feeling he was a little bit sleep drunk. Immediately after he went to get coffee." He pulled Remy closer, holding in tight in his arms. Virgil watched as a smile grew across Remy's face. "But anyway, what did you want to talk about?"

Virgil stayed silent for a moment, wondering if it would even help to tell Emile everything that was going on. There was a chance that Emile could help him get ahold of mind - he has proven himself to be good at that, and it was known all over the island that he gave the _best _advice - but there was also a chance that he'd tell Declan everything, and that could _ruin _Virgil.

No, he wouldn't do that. Virgil could trust a Emile. Besides, it wasn't as if he had done anything wrong. Who cared what Declan thought, anyway? Declan was the best manager that Virgil had ever worked for - a guest overstepping boundaries wouldn't be that big of a deal, right? Declan was fine.

Before he could have any more thoughts, Virgil said, "There's this guy."

Emile gasped. "Who is it?"

"You wouldn't know him," Virgil said. "He's a guest at the hotel."

Emile's smile slowly faded. "Oh."

"Yeah." Virgil rubbed the back of his neck. "I know nothing's gonna happen, 'cause he'll be leaving the island soon, but I..."

"You can't get him out of your mind?" Emile guessed.

"Yeah, exactly." Virgil sighed. "He's just... He's so cute, I swear to God. _Él tiene estos ojos preciosos y una piel perfecta y una sonrisa increíble. ¡Y él es tan confiado! Él tiene este aura a su alrededor que me hace querer estar con él para siempre._"

Emile hummed. "Why don't you talk to him, then?"

"I can't," Virgil said. "You know how Declan is-"

"Who cares about Declan," Emile interrupted.

Virgil blinked. "He's my boss."

"And?"

"I don't wanna lose my job, Emile." Virgil leant his head back.

"Would... Would that really make you lose your job?" Emile asked.

"Maybe. Declan's kinda touchy about us connecting with the guests," Virgil explained. "I don't want to risk it. Besides, he'll be leaving soon, so there's no point anyway."

"There's _always_ a point, Virgil," Emile said, softly. "No matter what, you should always follow your heart."

Virgil groaned. "I knew you'd say something cheesy like that."

Emile smiled. "It's true, Virgil. Don't ignore your feelings. They are there for a reason." He glanced down at Remy, who had somehow buried himself even deeper in Emile's chest. "You should go to bed, like this little sleepy head here," he suggested.

Virgil nodded. "Yeah. I-" He let out a big yawn. "You're right. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Verge."

He stood up and made his way to his room. "Night, Em."

**6:08 **

Logan scanned the beach, searching for that waiter, who he still hadn't learnt the name of. He highly doubted that the waiter would want to see him, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted to apologise for both his and Roman's actions the day before, since they both had clearly made the waiter feel uncomfortable - he needed to set things right.

Besides, it wasn't as if he had anything to lose. If the waiter hated him afterwards, that wouldn't matter, because soon enough he'd be leaving the island. If the waiter forgave him, then that was just a bonus. Everything would be fine.

It didn't take him long to find the waiter - as Logan had expected, he was alone on the empty beach. Trying hard not to think, Logan approached him and sat down.

"Good morning," Logan greeted.

The waiter glanced over, frowning. "Why are you here?"

Logan sighed. "Straight to the point, huh?" He looked over to the ocean. "I came to apologise."

He just looked even more confused. "What for?"

"For my actions yesterday. I understand that coming up to talk to you perhaps wasn't the best move, and if it made you uncomfortable, I am incredibly sorry."

After a moment of silent, the waiter puffed some air out of his nose, in what Logan interpreted as a laugh. "And you thought the best way to go about that was to come up to me again? In the same place?"

"I realise now that probably wasn't the best move, either," Logan admitted, "but I am truly sorry."

The waiter shrugged. "Don't worry about it. All it did was give me a mild crisis. Nothing too different from usual."

Unsure as to how to respond to that without digging into the waiters personal life, which Logan certainly did not want to do, he decided to go straight to his next line of business. "I'd also like to apologise on behalf of my friend, Roman, for his behaviour last night."

The waiter laughed. "Yeah, you don't need to apologise for _that_."

Logan frowned. "Why, exactly?"

"Firstly, that wasn't you," he began, "and secondly, what does it even matter?" He shook his head, sighing. "Nothing's gonna happen. You guys are gonna leave and we'll never see or think of each other again. And that's fine, because I don't know you guys."

"Alright." Logan shuffled away. "I suppose it makes sense for you to feel that way."

The waiter glanced over at him. "You don't sound entirely convinced."

"I just..." Logan shook his head. "No, it's fine. I get what you mean. I'll, um, I guess I'll leave." He began to stand up.

"Hey," the waiter said, just as Logan was about to walk away. "This Roman guy - why does he want to talk to me so badly?"

Logan hummed. "I'm not sure. However, I do know that Roman is the type to become infatuated easily. I wouldn't be surprised if..."

"So, he doesn't have any actual feelings for me," he guessed.

"Well, no, he obviously does have feelings for you," Logan said. "I'm just doubtful as to what said feelings are. You're not wrong in saying that once we're going, he probably won't think about you."

"Wow, that's nice," the waiter said. Logan assumed that he was being sarcastic.

"But there's also a possibility that he does have genuine feelings for you," Logan stated.

The waiter looked up at him. "What makes you think so?"

"He's been behaving... strange. I've seen what he can be like when he's obsessing over a guy, and it's different to how he's acting now. Usually, he'll talk for a while about how attractive the guy in question is, but then move on once he's got it all out. It usually only lasts for a day or so. But this time, it lasted for longer, and he's actually been keeping to himself," Logan explained. "I know I said that he won't shut up about you, but the thing is, he has. He's enjoying it for himself. He's been able to sleep instead of keeping us up all night talking about you. And he's still trying to make a move. He _never _makes a move."

The waiter held his breath. "So... he _does _have feelings for me?"

"Well, obviously. It's just a case of understanding whether the feeling is love or infatuation. In Roman's case... I have to admit, I honestly don't know."

He groaned. "Can you not just give me a straight answer?"

Logan sighed. "Sorry. I'm not good at reading people. I can try to talk to Roman about it, but as you said, we don't want anything happening, do we?"

For a moment, he hesitated. "Yeah. You're right. I don't want anything to happen." Logan couldn't tell whether the waiter was lying or not.

**7:32 **

"Where's Logan?" Roman asked, as soon as Patton stepped back into the room. He was unsure as to where Patton has gone, and even more confused about why Logan was also missing in action.

Patton shrugged. "He left at, like, half five."

Roman frowned. "Why?"

"I don't know," he said, shrugging again. "Must have gone for a walk. I went back to sleep." He sat down on the sofa besides Roman.

"Well, where did you just go, then?" Roman wondered.

"Just for a bit of fresh air," Patton said with a smile.

"We have a balcony," Roman pointed out.

"And I like to take walks," Patton countered, "so I did."

Roman thought that made sense.

"Although, I would also like to know where-"

The door opened and in came Logan.

"-you've been, Logan," Patton finished, turning to the third friend. "What happened?"

"I took a walk," Logan stated.

Roman glanced at Patton, who locked eyes with him. They made a silent agreement that they needn't go further.

"That makes sense," Patton concluded. "Breakfast, now?"

**19:21 **

****All day Logan's speech had lurked in the back of Virgil's mind. He couldn't help but question it, wanting to dig deeper and find out what was really going on with Roman. Logan had said that Roman never lingered on a crush for so long, but who was to say how long he would? It had only been a few days since they had first met, which didn't seem like long at all. So maybe Logan was right in saying that it was just an infatuation, that Roman didn't really have feelings for him. Then again, Logan seemed to know Roman really well, and if he thought it was more, then it probably was. He was clearly an intelligent guy, so Virgil had very little doubts. He just wished that everything would be a little _easier _to figure out.

The group walked into the restaurant and took their seats. Virgil took this as a message from the universe - the only way to know is to find out yourself.

"_¿No es ese el tipo que sigue coqueteando contigo?_" his co-worker, Nate, asked.

"_Sí_," Virgil confirmed.

"_Me encargaré de ellos esta noche_," Nate offered.

Virgil shook his head. "_No. Yo puedo hacerlo._" He began to walk towards the table.

"_¡Buena suerte!_" Nate called after him.

Ignoring Nate's last remark, Virgil approached the table and stood directly in front of Roman, plastering on a huge smile. "_Hola._ Are you ready to take your order?" 

"Yes," Roman immediately said, "I'd like one hot waiter please." And then, one moment later, "Oh wait, I already have one of those." 

Virgil sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Wow. That was terrible." 

"So is the fact that I keep pouring out my heart and all you do is push me away," Roman replied. 

Pursing his lips, Virgil said, "I keep telling you it's against company policies to form relationships with our guests." He leant one hand on the table, and before Roman had chance to say anything else, he continued, "But, I've never exactly been one for following rules." 

The way that Roman's eyes lit up made Virgil's heart flutter. He silently cursed himself for feeling that way. 

"Anyway, be serious now, what is your order?" Virgil asked. 

The three gave him their orders and Virgil went away. All throughout their little exchange, Virgil could see Logan and the third friend (who Virgil hadn't gotten the name of yet) glancing at each other, perhaps concerned over Roman's behaviour. That meant that they cared about Roman, and that Virgil could trust them to understand Roman's actions. Meaning he could still get advice from Logan. Also, the look on Roman's face whenever Virgil came to the table, whenever he spoke, whenever they simply caught eyes across the crowded room was enough proof that his feelings were real. For once in his life, Virgil was sure of it. 

His plan was about to unfold. And it was going to be one hell of a ride. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPANISH TRANSCRIPT:  
Virgil: He has these beautiful eyes and perfect skin and an amazing smile. And he's so confident! He has this aura around him that makes me want to be with him forever.
> 
> Nate: Isn't that the guy who keeps flirting with you?  
Virgil: Yes.  
Nate: I can take care of them tonight.  
Virgil: No. I can do it.  
Nate: Good luck!


	5. Day Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SPANISH TRANSCRIPT:  
Virgil: you're an idiot.

**4:32**

Light from passing cars seeped in through Virgil's open window. The previous night he had arrived home at around three in the morning, gotten maybe twenty minutes of sleep, and then woken up and played on his phone for the remaining hour. This was nothing, though, compared to how often he'd sleep in the past - at least he'd gotten that twenty minutes. Now, despite every bone in his body screaming at him to go back to sleep, he was restless, and wanted nothing more than the leave the apartment and get some fresh air.

He did exactly that. Careful not to wake up his roommates (who were both snoring softly on the couch, which wasn't at all a surprise to Virgil), he crept out of his room and through the apartment. He closed the front door slowly, as to not make too much noise, and then left the building, heading straight to the beach. He pulled his hoodie tighter around his body and lifted his hood up to shield him from the wind. The sky was unusually red. It seemed as though a storm was coming.

Strange. The weather on this island was usually perfect. But that wasn't to say that they never got bad weather. It had just been a while since they last saw rain. Whatever. He supposed he _had _heard something about an oncoming storm on the radio a few days ago, but he hadn't given it much thought. It wasn't as if it would affect him that much.

Once he reached his spot on the beach, he collapsed onto the sand, immediately beginning to run his hands through the grains. As always, it was calming, therapeutic - with the added affect of the sound of the sea, Virgil was finally able to relax. Of course, it would have been even more relaxing for him if his thoughts would leave him the hell alone, but two out of three wasn't bad.

Virgil's mind couldn't help but wander back to that guy, Roman. Last night's experience had been... well, not quite a success, but not a failure either. He still wasn't entirely sure what he had even wanted from it. Did he want reassurance that Roman didn't have any feelings for him, and therefore the two would be able to part ways without too much drama? Maybe. That seemed to make the most sense. But maybe he had actually wanted to find out if Roman felt the same way that Virgil did. That thought scared Virgil a lot.

Because he didn't actually like Roman, did he? He hadn't even known him for a week. There was no possible way for him to develop feelings so quickly. Virgil wasn't even sure if he was capable of developing feelings at all.

He had only ever caught feelings for somebody once before, and you could barely call it feelings. It must have been when he was around ten, back before everything went wrong. His mother and father had taken him out for the day, to another city on the island. Whilst they were in a shop which Virgil wasn't allowed in, for some reason, he had sat in a park by himself. It was then that he met a particularly dashing fellow, around the same age, also alone in the park.

The two had talked for a while, about nothing and everything. The boy was a tourist, on holiday with his mother, also on a day trip to the city. Virgil had pretended that he was a tourist too, for fear that the boy would stop talking to him if he knew that he lived on the island and wasn't just visiting the city to sightsee. Still, Virgil had used his own experiences to tell the boy everything there was to know about the island, all the history and all the locations that you simply could not miss. And the boy had listened (between over-dramatic interruptions that only slightly annoyed Virgil) and then went on to tell Virgil all about his home country and the amazing things that happened there. He never asked about Virgil's home country, which was good, as that would have exposed him. Looking back on it, Virgil had no clue why he had chosen to lie to the boy in the first place.

Eventually his parents had come to collect him, but that wasn't the end of their story. Virgil met the boy again multiple times, always by the sea just as the sun set over the horizon. The two had sat and talked and sang and played and no summer had ever compared to that. For the first time in his life, Virgil had made a friend - a good friend. Sure, later in life he had met Remy and through him Emile, but nobody had developed quite that close of a bond that Virgil and the mystery kid did. Over the years, the two would meet again, on the same beach, at the same time of year, and they would catch up and fall in love all over again.

But one year, the mystery kid didn't show up. The next year, Virgil had to move away. Their only regret was never having gotten one another's name.

Now, years later, Virgil still came to the beach every day. He was beginning to realise that this wasn't because it was calming, but because it reminded him of those days. Perhaps a part of him still held onto the wish that the mystery kid (adult now, he supposed) would come back. That even though they now led completely different lives and probably wouldn't recognise each other, Virgil's first love would find him. It didn't matter that this wasn't the same beach, or even the same city. All that mattered was love.

Ew. Love. Virgil immediately took back all of his thoughts and elected to stop thinking about that boy. He was gone. There was no getting him back. Besides, he had an entirely different problem now - that Roman guy.

Not that Virgil was going to act upon his feelings for Roman. Roman was going to leave soon. Virgil wasn't going to let his heart be broken again.

**5:02 **

Roman awoke to the sound of the door creeping open. He sat up and glanced around the room. Patton was sprawled across the sofa, in deep sleep. Logan was nowhere to be seen - it must have been him leaving the room.

The right thing to do would be to forget about what he saw, as it was none of his business. The logical thing to do would be to go back to sleep and wait until Logan returned to ask him where he went. But Roman wasn't the kind of guy to do the right or logical thing - he was the type of guy to follow his heart and achieve his greatest dreams and desires. And right now, Roman's greatest desire was to know where the fuck Logan was going at five in the morning.

He got out of bed, slipped on his shoes, and left the apartment, following Logan. He made sure that he stayed just behind Logan on his journey, as to not make it obvious that he was following him. The last thing he needed right now was Logan shouting at him. The only thing he needed was to know what Logan had been getting up to the past two mornings.

It was unlikely that Logan was simply going for a walk. Sure, it sounded like something he would do, because he cared about health or whatever, but at five in the morning? No. Logan kept a strict sleeping schedule - in bed at ten, up at six. Not five. In the words of Logan, getting up at early simply wasn't enough sleep, unless you went to bed at nine, for example. Roman desperately needed to know, and if that meant slightly betraying the trust of one of his closest and dearest friends, then so be it.

He followed Logan all the way through town, until they reached the beach. Strange. Why would Logan want to go to the beach at five in the morning? Roman supposed it could have been for research, or maybe just a morning stroll, but again, that wasn't like Logan at all. Meaning something else was going on. Something that, apparently, Logan didn't want Roman to know about.

Well, jokes on him, because Roman had successfully hidden himself behind a large rock at the side of the beach, a perfect place to spy on Logan and find exactly what he was hiding. The beach was almost entirely empty, which wasn't exactly a surprise since it was five in the morning. Frowning, Roman watched as Logan walked across the beach and sat down next to the only other visitor, one who he recognised for some reason...

It was the waiter. Logan had come down to the beach at five in the morning to talk to the waiter. Why? In what world would Logan be interested in that? Was he trying to steal the waiter off Roman?

No, Logan wouldn't.

Would he?

Suddenly distraught, Roman came out from behind the rock and marched over to the pair. Just before he reached them, he quickly composed himself, trying to push the completely unwelcome and unexplainable anger deep, deep down, and plastered on a smile.

"Hey Logan," he greeted. "Trying to steal the love of the life?"

Both of them turned around and looked up, an expression of pure confusion, or maybe annoyance, across their faces.

"Jesus," the waiter said, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"Did you follow me, Roman?" Logan asked.

Roman breathed in deeply though his nose. "No, not at all, definitely not," he said, clearly lying. "I was just talking a morning stroll and happened to find you here."

Logan blinked. "Right. That makes perfect sense."

"Of course it does. Why wouldn't it?" Roman was beginning to get a little antsy, which was also a completely unwelcome feeling. Perhaps confronting Logan hadn't been the best idea.

"Can you get him to go away?" the waiter asked Logan.

Logan sighed. "As much as I would love to do so, I actually think it could be good having him here."

"Really?" the waiter said, at the exact same time as Roman.

"Yes." Logan looked up at Roman. "We were actually just about to discuss... you."

Trying his best not to show that he was taken aback by that comment, Roman smirked. "I'm flattered."

"God, _eres un idiota_," the waiter mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," he said, looking up at Roman. "I said absolutely nothing. And I absolutely do not want you in this conversation."

"Hey, what happened?" Roman wondered. "We were getting on so well last night."

The waiter blushed. "I, uh-"

"Roman," Logan interrupted, standing up and grabbing his arm. "Come with me." Since Roman didn't really have a choice due to Logan dragging him, the two walked a few metres to the side. Speaking through gritted teeth, Logan continued, "Please, for once in you life, just be normal. Our... acquaintance here is having a rather difficult time dealing with all of this and I really think talking it out with you could do him some good, okay? So please-"

"Yeah, yeah, talk it out," Roman said. "I get it. I can do that without making a massive mess."

"Okay. Good. Now let's-" Turning to the side as his spoke, Logan paused and took in a deep breath. "He's gone."

**18:21 **

Roman scanned the restaurant, desperately wishing to find him. Above everything else, he just really wanted to _apologise _to the waiter. It was obvious that he had made him uncomfortable, which was the last thing that Roman had wanted to do. If he could just find him, he could go over and explain himself, and make sure that it wasn't the end of... whatever their relationship was.

But the waiter had just disappeared. Roman hadn't seen him in the hotel all day. He hadn't seen him _at all _since that morning on the beach. And Roman couldn't help but worry - was he okay? Had something happened?

Surely not. Surely everything would just be fine. Earlier that day, Roman had talked to Patton about it, and Patton has said that everything would be fine. Patton was rarely wrong.

Everything was going to be fine.

Roman repeated those words over and over in his head as he tried his best not to cry.


	6. Day Six

**8:03 **

Virgil laid awake in his bed. After leaving the beach the day before, he had returned home and stayed there. He turned off his phone and locked his door, shutting out the outside world. His body would not physically let him leave, because if he left Roman could find him again and he'd have to talk to him and everything would go wrong. He shouldn't have been flirting with him the night before. He knew it would be a bad idea, and it was. Everything was going wrong.

At several points during the day (and night), both Remy and Emile had attempted to talk to Virgil, but he had remained silent. He couldn't even deal with talking to his two closest friends, one of which was an actual therapist who probably could have helped. He was just starting to see just how bad of an idea shutting everyone out was. Then again, that was normal for Virgil. Shutting people out and making a mess was what he did best, apparently. He was sure that his friends would understand why he was giving them the silent treatment.

Shortly after gaining just enough confidence to turn his phone back on, it began ringing and he regretted his decision deeply. But he couldn't just ignore it. He took in several deep breaths to compose himself and then picked up the phone. It was Declan, probably calling to see where Virgil was yesterday. Not wanting to delay the inevitable even more, he answered the phone.

"Hey, Dec," he greeted, slightly alarmed at how hoarse his voice sounded.

"Where were you yesterday?" Declan immediately asked, calmly. He didn't sound angry, at least, but you never knew with Declan.

"I was ill," Virgil lied, kinda. It wasn't entirely incorrect, because he definitely had felt a little sick, but that was probably because of a lack of food or just anxiety.

Whether or not Declan believed him, Virgil didn't know. "We really struggled last night because you weren't here."

That was a lie, Virgil assumed. "I'm sorry if I made it difficult."

"Will you be back today?" Declan asked, although it sounded more like a command.

"I, uh, I don't-"

"Virgil. You've been fired from almost every other hotel in the area," Declan reminded him. "I took you on on the basis that you wouldn't let me down, because no other place would take you. I am your only shot."

Virgil sighed. "Yes, Declan, I know, and I'm truly sorry. I'll be back today."

"Perfect. See you in an hour."

"Goodbye."

Declan hung up.

**10:13 **

Logan stumbled forward a little as he felt something right down on his shoulder. Still managing to hold his balance, though, he turned his head and his lip perked up at the side.

"Patton, I though you were with Roman?" Logan said, trying not to let it show how much he was squealing with excitement inside.

Patton grinned and hugged him closer, buying his face into Logan's neck. "He went out, wanted to be alone. We've got at least a couple hours to ourselves and I know exactly what to do with it." Grabbing Logan's arms, he withdrew and began to walk out of the hotel reception.

"Where are you taking me?" Logan wondered.

"You'll see." Patton slowed down a bit so he could walk next to Logan. "You're gonna love it, I promise."

Logan nodded. "Alright." He has absolutely no doubts that he would love it - Patton knew him better than he knew himself, and Logan put his full trust in him. "But, uh, where exactly did Roman go?"

Patton shrugged. "I don't know. Something about wanting to be alone with his feelings." He paused as they walked past another couple, briefly pulling their hands apart from connecting them again once they were out of sight. "I think he's gone to do some writing."

"That would make sense," Logan said. "Speaking of, shouldn't we be getting on with our own work?"

Patton grinned. "I brought my camera, actually!"

"Oh, that's go-" He stopped, realisation dawning on him. "Wait. You're not taking me for a photo shoot, are you?"

Patton glanced to the side. "Maybe."

"God, no, you know that I find those to be... awkward."

"But you're so pretty!" Patton objected.

Logan tried to hide the fact that he was blushing by turning his head to the side to 'look around'. "What about Roman? He loves that kind of stuff."

"Roman is away being alone with his feelings," Patton reminded him. "Also I can see you blushing so obviously you like being called pretty and therefore you will be perfect for the photo shoot."

"Darn, you caught me." He sighed. "But I suppose... if it will help your work..."

"So you'll do it?"

"Sure."

Patton squealed. "Yay! We're gonna have so much fun!"

Logan smiled back at him. "Of course we are, darling."

**10:32 **

Another person sprawled himself across Roman's table, looking down and smirking at him. "_Hola, guapo._"

Roman looked up at the man. "If you're flirting with me, I'm not interested."

"I don't think my boyfriend would be too happy with me flirting with you," the stranger said, placing his coffee down besides him. "And that's not why I came."

Roman frowned as he looked at the guy, specifically at his sunglasses. "Wait, you're that weird always-wears-sunglasses-inside guy who interrogated me."

The stranger shot a finger gun at him. "The very same. Where you been, girl? Did you find the name of the mystery waiter?"

Roman sighed. "No. I've talked to him but he still won't give me his name."

The stranger hummed. "Has he been wearing a name tag?"

"A what?"

"A name tag," he repeated.

"Yeah, I heard you the first time..." Roman tapped his finger on the table. "I don't think they wear name tags there."

"They do, actually," the stranger said. "Well, most of them do. Can you describe him for me?"

Roman sat there for a moment, unsure as to how to respond.

"If you tell me what he looks like, I might know who it is, and I might be able to help you," he explained.

"Oh, right, yeah." Roman breathed in. "Well, he's... tall? I guess? He had deep brown eyes and his hair is dyed purple and-"

"Girl," the stranger interrupted, "I knew it. Oh, this is too good."

"What? What is it?" Roman leaned forward.

"His name is Virgil. I live with him."

**10:39**

"We're here!" Patton exclaimed, turning into a small gate almost hidden from view.

Logan held his breath as he looked around. It was beautiful. Everything was _beautiful_. The garden was entirely empty apart from the two of them, but he could not fathom why. Lush greenery lined the perimeter, blocking out the outside world. And there were flowers of every colour scattered around, covering every inch of the garden except a cobbled path leading up to a small clearing. Their footsteps echoing on the hard ground, the two walked towards the clearing, where a magnificent water fountain sat in the middle surrounding by wooden benches.

"I knew you'd love it here!"

Logan turned to Patton and cleared his throat. "I, uh, will admit that this place is... nice."

Patton beamed at him, almost causing Logan to melt on the spot.

"But," Logan continued, "that does not change the fact that I do not enjoy photo shoots."

"Which is fine," Patton said, sitting down on a bench. He patted the seat besides him, signalling for Logan to sit down. Once he did, Patton turned slightly to face Logan. "I'm gonna take some pictures of the scenery first. So..." He reached into his bag and pulled out a notebook and pen. "I figured you could sit here and carry on writing up some research."

Logan took the notebook (which he soon identified as his own) and glanced around the garden. "You knew that this would be a perfect place for my work as well, didn't you?"

"You think I don't listen when you talk about your work?" Patton said, standing up. "There's actually some flowers here that I think you'd be interested in. Some that we can't grow back home."

Logan smiled. "I love you, Patton."

Patton smiled back, bigger and brighter than ever. "I love you too, Logan." He took his camera out of his bag and slung it over his shoulders. "Now, get to work."

**10:42 **

"Hey, Virgil!" someone called.

Virgil turned around to find Declan gesturing him towards him. Trying to maintain his calm composure, he walked over to join him. "Yes, Declan?"

"I noticed you seemed a little off," Declan said, putting his gloved hand on his hip.

"I'm ill, remember?" Virgil lied again.

"I know when you are lying, Virgil," Declan replied. "Something is bothering you."

"Nothing is bothering me," Virgil argued. "I'm perfectly fine. Just tired, I guess."

Declan frowned. "Have any of the guests been giving you any trouble?"

"What? No!" Virgil said, sounding far too defensive. He stepped back. "Everything is fine. I don't even talk to the guests all that much."

"Virgil, if something is going on, you need to tell me. As your boss, I have the ability to help you," Declan told him. Virgil didn't believe him.

"I assure you, nothing is going on. End of conversation." He took another step back. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna get back to work. Since, y'know, I have a job to be doing."

Declan let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "Alright, Virgil. Just let me know if anything happens. I wouldn't want anything bad happening to any of my employees. Especially not something that could get them fired."

Virgil faltered. "I'm, uh, sorry, for talking like that. I'll tell you if anything's going on."

Declan smirked. "Thank you, Virgil. You can return to your work now."

Virgil nodded at Declan, then turned around and left. He tried his best not to think about Declan's words, but that was all that seemed to be on his mind. There wasn't any 'trouble', was there? The thing with Roman wasn't trouble. It was just a mild inconvenience that could easily be sorted by either telling Roman to back off, or by avoiding him completely. Currently, the latter option was what Virgil was more likely to go for.

He hadn't seen Roman since yesterday morning on the beach, so everything was going fine. As long as he could avoid him at the restaurant tonight, everything would be fine. He could get Nate to do that table and Declan wouldn't suspect a thing. What mattered most was that Declan didn't find out about what was going on. As long as Virgil could keep this secret, everything would be fine.

**10:43 **

"You _live _with him?" Roman repeated, hardly believing what he was hearing.

"Yeah. I've been friends with him for years and he needed a place to stay, so he's been living with me and my boyfriend for a couple years," sunglasses-man confirmed.

Roman thought about that for a second, which was scary for him as he rarely thought about anything. "So, you know him. You can help me find him."

"Woah, woah, woah," he said, taking off his sunglasses and placing them on the table. "I never said anything about that."

"But-"

"Ah, ah, ah." He sighed. "Look, I get it. You're into this guy and I'm your only ticket to getting to hang out with him again. But he's my friend and I love him more than anyone." He paused. "Except for maybe my boyfriend. No, yeah, I love Emile more. But I still love Virgil!"

"Alright, but why-"

"Stop interrupting me," he snapped, before taking a breath to compose himself again. "Anyway, I don't... Virgil has had his heart broken before, okay? And I don't want him to suffer again."

"I'm not going to break his heart, though," Roman said.

"What did I _just _tell you about interrupting?"

"Sorry," Roman apologised, sinking into his chair.

"As I was saying, I want Virgil to be happy. And I know that being with you will make him happy, because he _does _like you."

Roman immediately sat back up again, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Really?"

"I don't know, this is what Emile's told me," he confessed. "I think Virgil went to tell him one night whilst I was sleeping. But the _point is_, Virgil would be happy with you."

"Good, then you should help me," Roman decided.

"But it isn't that simple!" the man exclaimed. "Because being with you would also cause Virgil to have a lot of anxiety, and he's bad enough when he _doesn't _have a forbidden romance plaguing his mind. I..." He sighed. "I just don't want him to be hurt, alright?"

Roman was silent for a moment. Was there romance really forbidden? Who said that it was forbidden? And if they were to be together and it hurt Virgil, would Roman even want to stay with him, knowing that he was causing the love of his life to suffer? No, he wouldn't. Because Roman didn't want Virgil to be hurt either.

"I get it, uh-"

"Remy," he said, putting his sunglasses back on. "My name's Remy."

"Right, Remy." Roman breathed in. "I get what you mean, Remy. I don't want him to be hurt either. And I _promise _that I won't hurt him."

Remy nodded. "Yeah, I never thought that you would. But you'll be leaving the island soon and that _will _hurt him."

"Oh." Roman glanced down. "So, you're not going to help me?"

Remy tapped his foot on the ground. "I didn't say that. Virgil _would _also be hurt if you gave up on him. So..." He chugged the rest of his coffee and stood up. "I have an idea. Come with me."

**11:01 **

Smiling, Patton snapped a quick photo of Logan, still sitting on the bench on the opposite side of the garden. He had got the flowers hanging down in front of his eyes in the shot, as well as one side of the fountain and couple feet away. Most importantly, he had captured Logan in a natural position, looking down at his notes, pen in hand and a million thoughts on his mind. It was moments like this that had made Patton fall in love - moments when Logan was alone with his thoughts and completely relaxed, when Patton knew just how much Logan cared about his work and about the world.

Logan looked up and caught eyes with Patton. "Did you just take a photo of me?" he shouted, faking annoyance.

"No, I was just taking a photo of these flowers," Patton said, smirking. Then, he added, "You just happen to be in the background."

Logan rolled his eyes but maintained a smile. "If you want to do the photo shoot, you can just ask."

"But you already looked so cute and I didn't want to ruin that."

Logan closed his eyes and sighed. "Alright. If that is what you think."

"It'll be a good photo, too!"

"Of course it will, Patton. You took it."

Patton let go of his camera, letting his hand around his neck, and walked up to Logan. He gave him a kiss on the forehead and sat down besides him. "This is nice. We should do this more."

Logan hummed. "Yes, I believe we should."

**11:05 **

Roman stood next to Remy in the waiting room of some sort of office, just next door to the coffee shop. Apparently Remy's boyfriend worked there, so the two had come to talk to him, presumably about Virgil. They just had to wait for him to come down.

"Quick warning," Remy said, "Emile is a little eccentric."

"Wow, I'd have never guessed," Roman said, thinking about everything he knew thus far about Remy and Virgil.

"I'm being serious. If you make fun of him, I will have to resort to violence," Remy said.

"Bold of you to assume that I'm not prepared for hand-to-hand combat at any given time," Roman countered.

Remy glared at him.

"But we won't have to do that because I will treat your boyfriend with respect," Roman added, his shoulders stiffening up.

"Good."

A man with lavender hair, glasses and freckles entered the room, and immediately lit up upon seeing Remy. He wore a white shirt, brown cardigan, and a striped pink-and-blue tie. And, more surprisingly, he held a stitch plushie in his hand.

"Starlight! You came to see me!" he exclaimed, running up to Remy and embracing him.

"Woah, easy there Em," Remy said, "I've brought someone to see you."

Emile drew back and looked at Roman. He held out his hand to shake and said, "Do you how do?"

Roman blinked. Was this man seriously friends with Remy and Virgil?

"Sorry, I must have come across a little strong," Emile said, sensing Roman's confusion. He drew back. "I'm Dr Emile Picani."

"It's quite all right, Emile," Roman reassured him. "I just wasn't expecting this bundle of sunshine to be friends with the likes of Virgil."

Emile glanced at Remy. "This guy knows Virgil?"

"This is the man that Virgil is deeply in love with," Remy introduced.

Emile gasped. "Oh my gosh, that's wonderful! So, are you together yet?"

Roman laughed and shook his head. "No, no, not quite. We, uh, well..."

"He's probably still struggling to get a hand on it," Emile guessed. "What with Declan's rules and all that. And the fact that you'll be leaving soon."

"Yeah, that." Roman deflated a little. Emile was right, just as Remy had been. It would never work. "But, well, I was hoping-"

"You want me to help you," Emile guessed, once again being completely right, "and I will do. Go to the beach tonight. At around ten o'clock. He'll be there waiting for you."

Roman frowned. "How exactly-"

"I'll make sure he's there, alright?" Emile promised. "Talk to him. I'll get him to explain everything to you and you'll get it to work, okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

"Good," Emile said, with a nod and a smile. "Now-" He leant over and pecked Remy on the lips. "-I have a patient in ten minutes so I should return. Good luck with Virgil."

**15:35 **

"Hey, kiddo, you alright?" Patton asked, sitting down besides Roman. "You seem a little fidget-y."

Roman had been back in the hotel for about an hour, after spending some more time in the coffee shop writing and trying not to think about tonight. As far as he was aware, Patton and Logan had only just returned.

"I'm alright, Pat," Roman said. "Just thinking."

"Is it about the waiter?" Patton guessed.

"What makes you think that?"

"That's literally all you've been thinking about since we got here," Patton said.

Roman sighed. "Yeah, you're right. And it is. I'm, uh, supposed to be meeting him tonight."

"Hey! That's great!" Patton said, excitedly.

"Yeah, it is, but... what if I mess it up again?" Roman wondered.

"You won't," Patton assured him. "I believe in you."

Roman smiled. "Thanks."

**21:46 **

Virgil stepped into the apartment and threw his duffle bag to the side. He stumbled into kitchen, grabbed his mug off the side, and filled it to the brim with the the last remaining coffee in the jug. Without a second thought, he chugged the whole cup and then began his journey to his bedroom.

But before he could make it, Remy stopped in the hallway. "Woah, what are you doing here?"

Virgil frowned. "I'm, uh, going to bed?"

"Girl, did you not get any of my texts?" Remy said.

Virgil tilted his head. "No?"

"Oh my God," he groaned. "Get your ass down to the beach. Now."

"What?"

"Just go!"

**10:05 **

Roman was at the beach and Virgil hadn't arrived yet. He should have been hear five minutes ago. Where was he? Was he even _coming_?

Just as Roman was about to have a breakdown, he saw him coming over the horizon. Virgil was so close. They were almost together. Roman sucked in a a deep breath in anticipation.

But as Virgil came up, everything went downhill.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he shouted, clear annoyance, maybe anger in his voice.

Roman grimaced. "I, uh, I just-"

"Oh God. You've met Remy, haven't you?" Virgil guessed. "Jesus, he's set me up."

"I-"

"Shut up, Roman," Virgil said, collapsing to the sand. "How many times do I have to tell you that we _can't do this_?"

"Well, why?"

Virgil looked up. "Why what?"

"Why can't we do this?" Roman questioned.

Virgil looked back down. "My boss-"

"I know it isn't just about your boss, Virgil."

Virgil's head shot back up. "Remy told you my name as well? Oh my God..."

"Look, Virgil-" Roman knelt down besides him. "-I want to make things work. If you just tell me what-"

"I've fallen in love before, okay?"

The beach fell silent. Even the waves seemed to disappear to allow for complete silence. Not even their hearts seemed to be beating.

Virgil let out a shaky breath. "Years ago I _stupidly _fell in love and then he disappeared and I never saw him again and I _can't do that_, okay?"

Roman bit his lip. "I, um-"

"This boy would come every year," Virgil continued, "and every time I'd fall in love all over again. Only for him to disappear. And I never saw him again."

Roman's heartbeat returned. "Wait, you-"

"I was young and stupid and it never would have worked out anyway. I'm not going to make the same mistake."

_It wasn't a mistake, _Roman wanted to say. _Love makes no mistakes. _

"Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go back home." Virgil stood up and walked away. Without even a goodbye.

But that didn't matter. Because Roman knew, now. He knew everything. He knew that he stood a chance with Virgil.

Because they had already done this before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPANISH TRANSCRIPT:  
Stranger: Hello, handsome.


	7. Day Seven

**11:35 **

Roman laid on a sun bed staring up at the sky, trying his best to not have a breakdown. Both of his friends were busy with their work - Patton in his darkroom and Logan doing some field work - so he had been left alone. Whilst usually this would be fine, in that moment it appeared to be a massive problem, because he really could have done with Patton's advice. He also could have done with the motivation to write, but his thoughts wouldn't shut up.

Things could work with Virgil. It _could _work. But it could _also _go incredibly wrong. And Roman didn't know what to do.

All he knew was that Virgil was more than just a silly crush. They had something more, a deep connection that nobody else would understand, a history that went beyond the realm of just long-time-no-see. They had broken each other's hearts. Roman had disappeared and it had destroyed Virgil. Virgil had been so distant and it had tortured Roman. Would it even work if they were together? Or would they just kill each other all over again?

Roman hadn't meant to disappear. He had wanted to stay in Virgil's life. It wasn't his fault that he had to leave. It wasn't his fault that he couldn't come back.

Perhaps it was his fault that he had never opened up to Virgil. He could have given him some form of communication, promised that they'd be together again, _at least _given him his name. But he hadn't. At the time, Roman just thought of it as a summer fling, not to be taken seriously. He wasn't even sure if that boy - well, Virgil - was gay. Maybe Virgil didn't know either.

But it couldn't have _just _been Roman's fault. Virgil had been distant too - in fact, half the time Roman wasn't even sure if Virgil wanted to be hanging out with him. He always seemed on edge, constantly looking for an escape. Roman had perhaps been a little clingy. They did meet up _every single night_.

Then again, Virgil always came back. He wanted to be with Roman. Never once did he give any hints that he wanted to end whatever they had.

Perhaps if Roman has continued visiting the island, this all would have gone differently. Maybe they would already be together, happy in each other's arms. If only the family holidays had continued. If only he had met Patton and Logan earlier and come with them. _If only. _

If only they hadn't broken each other's hearts, things would be different.

But now they had a chance to fix them.

Roman stood up and walked back into the hotel. He had to talk to Patton, who, as far as Roman knew, was just down the road in a photography studio he had rented out for the duration of their trip. He was sure that Patton wouldn't mind him dropping in, especially if it was for love.

It took a little while for him to find the place, but as soon as he did he rushed through the studio and into the darkroom.

"Close the door!" Patton shouted, frantically.

Roman quickly shut the door behind him. "Sorry."

Patton breathed out. "It's okay, Roman. It'll be fine."

Roman came up besides Patton, who was hanging up a photograph on some string attached across the ceiling. "Sorry to call in suddenly. I need your help."

"I thought you were going to relax today?" Patton recalled.

"Yeah, I just said that because I needed some time to think," Roman said.

"Oh," Patton said. "Well, what do you need?"

"It's about Virgil," Roman said.

"Who?" Patton asked.

"The waiter," Roman clarified.

Patton gasped. "You got his name?"

Roman involuntary grinned. "I did. It's just a beautiful name, isn't it?"

Patton laughed.

"Anyway-" Roman put on his serious face again. "-we met last night and, well, turns out we've met before?"

Patton's eyes widened. "What?" He put his pegs down on the table and turned to face Roman.

"Yeah, I know, crazy!" Roman said. "But, well, it's probably not great, because I may have abandoned him and broken his heart."

Patton blinked. "Oh no."

"I didn't mean to abandon him, of course. It was just... we were kids, y'know? And we stopped coming on holiday here so I just never got to see him again," Roman explained. "But, well, uh, I may have had a crush on him in that time? And apparently he also liked me. And last night things didn't go down too well on the beach and..."

With Roman trailing off, Patton chimed in, "Does he know that you knew him?"

Roman shook his head. "He stormed off before I could say anything. So, no. Unless he's already figured it out.

Patton pursed his lips. "You should tell him."

"What if he hates me, though?" Roman questioned.

"He won't hate you," Patton promised. "Sounds to me like you two are soulmates or something. Destined to be together." He smirked.

Roman sighed. "I mean, I guess?"

"Tell him tonight," Patton suggested. "At the restaurant. You can go and talk to him and, I don't know, ask him on a date or something."

Roman frowned. "You think that would work?"

"I know it will."

Roman considered that for a moment, before nodding. "Okay, yeah. Yeah, I'll do that."

"I'm rooting for ya, kiddo," Patton said, smiling.

Roman smiled back.

**7:04 **

Virgil leant back against the counter, scanning the restaurant. Nate had graciously agreed to serve Roman's table, assuming his group came in, so that there was no way for Declan to get suspicious. Of course, Declan wasn't working in the restaurant, but he had eyes everywhere and no one knew when he would strike. But Virgil had this whole thing under control.

What he wasn't expecting was for Roman to approach him immediately after entering the building.

"Hey, Virgil, can we talk in private for a moment?" Roman requested.

Virgil frowned. "Roman, I'm working, I can't-"

Before he could properly protest, Roman had already grabbed his wrist and begun to drag him out of the restaurant and around a corner. Nobody was in the area. Nobody would be able to hear them.

"Look, Virgil, I-"

"Roman," Virgil interrupted, "I don't know _how _many times I have to tell you, but this cannot happen, alright?" He tried to walk away, but Roman held him back.

"Virgil, please, just listen to me," Roman begged.

Virgil sucked in a breath through his nose. "Okay. Fine. But if anybody sees us here, I'm going to murder you."

"Cool," Roman said, which definitely was not the correct reaction to that last statement. "So, uh, last night you were talking about the boy that disappeared and-"

"Oh my God, Roman, seriously? I am _over _that now, okay?" Virgil said.

Roman shook his head. "That's not-"

"Just drop it, Roman."

"I was that boy," Roman blurted out.

A defeating silence fell between them. Virgil stared at him, his face hung by a thousand conflicting emotions. It couldn't be true, could it? There was no way that... that he was him. He couldn't be. The boy was long gone by now, never to return. Virgil had _just _come to accept that.

"Prove it," Virgil spat. "Tell me something only he would know."

Roman looked Virgil straight in the eye. "August 3rd 2006. We were sat on the beach looking up at the stars. You were explaining the constellations, I think. I wasn't really listening, but you were so excited. I think you had read about it in some book."

Virgil looked down. "Um, could just be a lucky guess," he mumbled.

"All of a sudden you started crying," he continued. "You wouldn't tell me why, but I didn't need to know. I hugged you until you calm down and then offered to walk you home. You said that you didn't want to go so we stayed on the beach. Eventually we had to get up and go home anyway, because the tide was coming in, but we stayed for a long time in silence, just looking up at the stars."

Virgil looked back up.

"The next day we met up at a park and climbed that giant tree, remember?" Roman laughed. "We got so high but then you were afraid of coming down. I had to help you - I climbed down first, helping you get from branch to branch. When I got to the bottom, you were still too afraid to jump off the last branch. I held out my arms and you smiled and jumped into them. We fell to the floor but... well, we were laughing, and neither of us got hurt. Well, I may have been hurt a little since you fell on me of me, but-"

"Shut up, Roman," Virgil said. "I believe you."

Roman smiled. "So, uh, should we...?"

Virgil breathed in. "I suppose we should? I have been waiting for, well, since you last left. I go to the beach every night in hopes that you would return."

"And now I have."

"How about tomorrow, after I get off work," Virgil suggested.

"Yeah, that'd be good. Great, actually."

Virgil closed his eyes. "I can't believe that you're actually back."

Roman held his hand tight. "This time, I won't leave."


	8. Day Eight

**5:57 **

Something tugged at Roman's arm and whispered his name in his ear. He rolled over in bed and pulled his blanket tighter around him, but the tugging soon turned to pushing and Roman was forced to give up on his attempt to return to dreamland.

"Wha'd'you want," Roman slurred, debating whether he should sit up or not - given how exhausted he was, the answer seemed to be no.

"You gotta get up, kiddo," the voice whispered, still pushing his shoulder. "The bus is leaving in half an hour."

He groaned, but decided to finally sit up. "What bus?"

"Y'know, to that theme park?" the voice reminded him.

Frowning, Roman looked over. It was Patton who had woken him up, fully dressed and, by the looks of it, ready to leave. Logan was also stood at the end of the bed, looking out the window.

"What are you talking about?" Roman asked, getting to grips with being awake.

"You insisted that we take a trip to a theme park at some time during our visit to 'let off steam'," Logan explained, now looking towards Roman. "Apparently it was also necessary for your book, something about an important scene that you needed to plan out."

Roman blinked. "I did?"

"Yes, Roman, you did," Logan said.

Roman closed his eyes for a second, and then got out of bed. "Okay. Fine. I guess."

"Yay!" Patton cheered, going to sit on the sofa. "Now, I laid out your clothes in the bathroom for you to put on, and-"

"Did you seriously pick out my clothes for me?" Roman said. "You're not my dad."

"Sure I'm not, buddy," Patton said, chuckling in a way that made Roman think that Patton definitely saw himself as Roman's parental figure. "Just get changed, I know you want to wear those clothes."

Roman looked down at the clothes laid out across counter and pursed his lips, nodding. His white shirt, red jacket, and light blue jeans. Exactly what he would have wanted to wear. Just cool enough for the slightly-warmer temperature on the island, and including his signature red jacket that we wore whenever he went somewhere important. Patton truly did know him and, despite being the same age, Roman had to admit that Patton really did act like a dad.

Once he had a quick shower and got changed and ready to leave, he re-emerged back into the hotel room, a bright smile across his face. He now remembered why he wanted to go to that park - he needed references for one of the scenes, specifically timings and feelings of certain rides. But above all, he was pumped and ready for a break.

Logan chucked him a cereal bar. "Eat."

Roman sighed. If Patton was his dad, he supposed that made Logan his mum.

"We all ready to go?" Patton asked.

Roman nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

"Good!" Patton said, opening the door and leaving the apartment. "Because the bus leaves in like three minutes, so we should go."

**9:32**

Virgil entered the staff locker room, to be immediately ambushed by Nate.

"Hey," Nate said, leaning with his foot up against a wall. "You're two minutes late."

"Only Declan has the power to complain at me about that," Virgil stated. "And I actually arrived two minutes ago, so I don't know what you're talking about."

Nate shrugged and began to walk towards him. "Whatever. We need to talk."

Virgil slowly blinked as he put down his bag. "Why?" he asked, cautiously.

"I saw you go off with that guy last night," Nate said.

Feeling his heart skyrocketing, Virgil quickly turned away from Nate and faced his locker. "No, I don't think you did."

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna tell Dec," Nate promised.

Virgil breathed out a sigh of relief. "Good." Still, he kept his eyes fixated on the locker.

"So, what's going on?" Nate wondered.

Virgil bit his lip. "He's taking me out tonight." He turned around to see Nate's excited expression. "But before you freak out," he quickly added, "this needs to stay on the down-low, okay? Don't tell anyone. I don't know if it will go anywhere, but... I want this to just be for me, y'know?"

Nate nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you."

**11:02 **

Roman had arrived at the theme park around half an hour ago, but had only just made it past the queue. The bus was scheduled to take them at at half six, which gave Roman plenty of time for his 'research'. Said research being specifically how long it took to go round a Ferris wheel, and what it would feel like to do so whilst kissing another person. Obviously he couldn't kiss anyone whilst doing it, but he could get the general feeling of the wind, at least.

To be honest, the real reason Roman wanted to come was to have fun. The research thing was just something he made up as an excuse.

"So," Logan said, taking out a map, "if we make our way around the park clockwise, spending roughly an hour in each of the five sections perhaps, with a break around one o'clock for lunch, we should be able to-"

Patton grabbed Logan's hand and began to walk off, with Roman following closely behind. "Or, we could just go with the flow, and take a lunch break when we're all hungry."

"But if we want to make the most of our visit-"

"We should just do what we want to do," Patton finished.

Logan sighed. "Okay, fine."

Feeling like a third wheel, Roman said, "I'm gonna, uh, head to the Ferris wheel. Y'know, for research. You two go on ahead."

Patton turned his head. "You sure?"

"Yeah," Roman said. "I should probably get this done. Maybe later we could all hang for a bit. Meet up for lunch?"

"Yeah!" Patton agreed. "Call us when you're done, then?"

Roman nodded. "Will do. See you."

**11:45 **

Roman was sat at the top of the Ferris wheel, looking down at the theme park below. He took out his phone and took a few photos, to keep as a reference. Then he sat back and waited. It wasn't that great of a ride, really. Not alone. Perhaps it would've been better if Virgil was besides him.

Virgil...

He was supposed to be meeting Virgil tonight. After work. But Roman didn't actually know what time he'd be back at the hotel. Oh God.

No. It'd be fine. Surely he wouldn't be _that _late. And even if he was, Virgil would wait, right?

Right. Yeah. Virgil would wait.

**11:54 **

Patton and Logan had found a bench in a quiet area of the park. Patton snuggled up to Logan as they watched a rollercoaster zoom by above them, over and over again. Neither of them were really interested in rollercoasters, but at least they could spend some quality time together.

Logan leant down, kissing Patton's head. Failing to stop himself from giggling, Patton looked up and smiled fondly at his boyfriend. In response, Logan leant down again, this time kissing Patton on the lips.

"We should take a photo," Patton suggested.

Logan frowned. "Of us kissing, you mean?"

"Of us," Patton clarified. "We can kiss if you want."

"Wouldn't that alarm Roman, if he saw?"

"He's not going to see," Patton said, "but we don't have to, if you don't want."

"No," Logan said. "I want to."

Patton grinned and took out his polaroid, holding out in front of them. As Logan leant down to kiss him once more, Patton took the photo, and then pulled away.

"We'll get to see that later," Patton said. "When we get home, probably."

Logan nodded. "I'll look forward to it."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, until Patton said, "We should go on a ride."

Logan looked at him. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, we're here, we may as well."

Logan hummed. "Which one?"

Patton looked around, before pointing to the one above them. "This one?"

"You know we'd both be terrified," Logan stated.

"At least we'll be terrified _together_."

Logan sighed, but let out a smile. "Okay. If it'll make you happy."

**7:56 **

Roman hadn't shown up in the restaurant that night, and Virgil had got off early. He had been waiting outside the hotel for Roman, but he was nowhere to be found. Perhaps he had already left the island. Set Virgil up. Crushed his heart all over again.

That didn't sound like Roman, though. Maybe something had happened.

But either way, Virgil couldn't just wait here all night. He went to tell Nate, who had to stay at the hotel for a night shift, to keep an eye out for Roman, and then went down to the beach. That way at least he'd be by the sea, where he could get an ounce of joy.

**11:32 **

Roman was late arriving back at the hotel.

He had had a good time at the park, at least. In the afternoon, all three of them had gone round some of the rides - not any of the big ones, as both Logan and Patton were terrified of them (although, they had admitted that they went on one just before lunch, and had felt as if they were descending to hell. Roman hadn't been sure whether he believed them, but gave them the benefit of the doubt, as Patton rarely lied). But of course, it could have been improved if Virgil was there with him.

God, Virgil. He had abandoned him. He hadn't meant to, of course, but he couldn't help but worry. What if Virgil thought this meant he didn't care? What if Virgil thought he had gone home? What if Virgil thought he had been abandoned once again?

It hadn't been his fault, though. The bus had broken down on the way back, and they had had to wait for another one to come. And on top of that, traffic has been bad.

He was back now, though. Maybe Virgil was still waiting.

"Hey," a voice said, just as Roman was about to enter the hotel. "You're Roman, right?"

Roman took a step back and looked to the source of the voice - one of the staff members leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette. "Yeah?"

"I'm Nate," he introduced. "Virgil told me to keep an eye out for you. He's down by the beach, seemed a little upset. I'd, uh, go down there, if I were you."

Roman breathed in. "I'll go. Thanks for telling me." He began to walk away, but Patton touched his arm.

"You okay?" Patton asked.

"Yeah, you go on in. I'm just heading down to the beach. I'll be back later."

Patton seemed confused, but didn't question it. "Okay. See you."

"Bye."


	9. Day Nine

**00:01 **

Virgil threw his arms around Roman, digging his head into his shoulders. Though seemingly shocked at first, Roman cautiously wrapped his arms around Virgil's waist and then moved his hands further up, awkwardly patting him on the back. For a moment, the two bathed in each other's warmth, with Virgil pulling Roman tighter, until he pushed away and the soft look in his eyes faded to anger.

"Where the hell were you?" he asked, staring Roman straight in the eye.

Roman held up his hand. "Well, I, uh..." He our his hand down. "I may have forgotten about a certain trip I was supposed to be taking today, since last night I was just kinda rushing into things because I was excited, and, well-"

Virgil hugged him again. "Shut up," he mumbled into his neck, "I don't want to be mad at you. I'm just glad you're okay."

Roman frowned, pulling away slightly so that they could see each other's faces but still touch each other, with Virgil's hands on his shoulder's and Roman holding on to his waist. "Of course I'm okay," he said, softly and tenderly. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"I don't know," Virgil sighed. "You just kinda disappeared. I was waiting for you to show up and you never did. I... I thought you'd gone home, or something."

"Virgil," Roman said, "I _promise _you that I'm not going to abandon you again."

Virgil smiled and looked down. He didn't say anything else, but hoped that Roman understand what he was thinking. He lowered his arms to gently taking Roman's hand, then silently led him closer to the sea and sat down, pulling Roman down with him.

"I'm sorry that this probably isn't the first date you dreamed off," Roman said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Virgil looked over at him. "Are you kidding me?" He chuckled lightly. "This is perfect."

Roman frowned. "How?"

"Every _single _night I come to this beach just _waiting _for you to join me," Virgil said. "Tonight, you did."

"Huh. I guess I did."

They smiled at each other, then looked up to the stars. To think that Virgil used to sit under these stars and wonder where Roman was. Now Roman was sat right besides him, slowly getting closer, reaching his arm around Virgil, and everything seemed perfect. Virgil found himself nuzzling closer to Roman, happy that the two were now one. Happy that they had found each other once again, by the sea.

"I still feel bad that I didn't take you on a proper date, though," Roman confessed.

Virgil hummed. "We still have time, right?" He phrased that as a question simply because he didn't even know if they _did _have time. Roman could be leaving at any time and they might never see each other again. Virgil needed to make the most of it, and if that meant rushing things then so be it.

"We have three, four days, maybe," Roman said, then quickly added, "and time after that, of course, because, as I said, I'm not abandoning you this time."

That wasn't nearly enough time. Three days wasn't enough to make up for over a decade of suffering. But Virgil would have to make do.

"We can... work with that," Virgil said, sifting sand through his hand.

"You don't sound too sure," Roman said.

Virgil breathed in. "I'm not. I've never done this before, Roman."

"Neither have I, Virgil."

Virgil shot a glance up at Roman, frowning, as if to say that he didn't believe him.

"What? Just because I'm charming doesn't mean I've ever had a serious relationship," Roman claimed, which just earned another look from Virgil. "Honestly. I may like a lot of people but I don't really date that much. I've been with maybe two or three people before. Clearly, none have worked out."

"Well, that's more than me," Virgil said. "Also, what was that you were saying about 'a serious relationship'."

Roman blushed. "I, uh-"

"Shh," Virgil said, closing his eyes as he leant on Roman's chest. "It's okay. I want this to work out, too. That's all I've wanted for so long."

**3:24 **

The two had stayed on the beach for ages, just happy to near each other. When Virgil began to drift off, Roman insisted on walking him home, which Virgil didn't protest against. They had made it to the front door when Virgil stopped.

"Do you want to come in?" Virgil asked.

Roman thought for a moment. "I wouldn't want to intrude."

"But it's late and I don't want you getting murdered on the way to the hotel," Virgil argued.

"Would your roommates mind, though?" Roman wondered.

"Nah." Virgil pushed the (already unlocked) door open. "They already love you."

Roman silently followed Virgil into the apartment, the only light coming from a TV screen on the other side of the room. He stood by the door as Virgil walked towards the TV. A moment later, he returned and motioned for Roman to follow him, taking him to his bedroom.

"My roommates are asleep on the sofa," Virgil whispered.

Roman frowned. "Should we be worried?"

"No, that happens all the time," Virgil said. "Remy has trouble sleeping most of the time, unless he's with Emile. We don't want to disturb him." He took off his shoes and climbed into bed, clearly not bothering to change into anything else.

Roman leaned against the wall, watching Virgil. "So, uh, do you have a spare room, or...?"

Virgil rolled his eyes. "Get in here, you idiot."

Usually, Roman would never dream of doing that so soon after confessing his feelings, but they only had five days, and who knows how long it would be before they were in each other's presence again after that. So he didn't stop himself. He slept besides Virgil, still keeping his distance as to not alarm him, and decided to enjoy it whilst it last.

**8:57 **

When Virgil awoke, his arms were entangled in Roman's, and he couldn't have been happier. Roman was still fast asleep besides him, peaceful, his hair messy and out-of-place. He knew that Roman would absolutely hate anybody to see him like this, and that alone was enough to make Virgil fall in love. This was for _his _eyes and his eyes _only_. This moment between them was private and perfect.

But as soon as he looked at his clock, the moment ended. He swore loudly and shot out of bed, waking Roman up in the process.

Roman looked at him, confused. "What-"

"I'm late," Virgil said, putting his shoes on and quickly spraying himself with deodorant.

Roman blinked. "But-"

"Get up, I'll walk you back to the hotel," Virgil offered. "You've got to be quick, though."

Roman nodded, beginning to get out of bed. "Okay, sure, but-"

"C'_mon_." Virgil grabbed his hand and dragged him out the room, past a very confused Emile and left the apartment, basically running to the hotel.

"Are we not going to-"

"Yeah, last night happened," Virgil acknowledged, "you are very cute, I am very gay, I am glad that you are in my life. Now I gotta get to work and if Declan sees you with me he's gonna flip so you'll have to wait until after I go in. Got it?"

Roman was too much of a blushing mess to reply to any of that.

**19:45 **

****Roman waited for Virgil just outside the hotel. They had agreed to meet after Virgil got off from work at eight, to go on their first real date. This really should've happened the night before, and Roman really hoped the restaurant that he wanted to take Virgil to was open that day as well. If it wasn't, though, there was plenty of other restaurants, and he supposed the beach was still there if they were really desperate, and...

He was thinking too much into this. _Just let the night happen_, Roman told himself. _You already know Virgil likes you. You're not going to mess this up. _

Fifteen minutes went by far too quickly. Virgil joined Roman and they walked down the hill, not even exchanging a single word. They were comfortable enough to just walk in silence, and trusted each other enough to know they didn't secretly hate each other. It was going well, Roman thought.

The restaurant was open and they had a good time. It was so easy to talk to Virgil. They just seemed to know each other _perfectly_. Not once did they misunderstand what the other said, or did anything that the other didn't like. Roman even slipped into Spanish for a good portion of the night.

When they finished the meal, they walked down to the beach again, holding each other's hands tight, protectively. And as they looked up at the moon, Virgil got up on his tiptoes and quickly pressed his lips against Roman's cheek.

And if he also whispered something special into Roman's ears, nobody else would have known. Because they had something special and it was all theirs. Private. For once in his life, Roman didn't feel the need to shout it out to the world.

Nobody needed to know that Virgil loved Roman, and only Virgil needed to know that Roman loved him back.


	10. Day Ten

**10:32 **

Walking down the street, Roman saw a familiar face approaching him - the love of this life, Virgil. He had his hood pulled up, covering a pair of big headphones over his ears, and seemed to be avoiding all eye contact by staring at the floor.

"Hey, Virgil!" Roman called, stopping in his tracks. Logan and Patton, who were a few metres ahead of Roman, also halted. Virgil, however, did not.

As Virgil walked past seem, still not noticing him, Roman grabbed his arm - not meaning to be hostile, of course, but perhaps it didn't come off that way. Virgil pulled away and stepped back, glancing at Roman with fear in his eyes. Once he realised who he was, he let out a sigh of relief. Roman couldn't help but feel a wave of guilt wash over him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Shush," Virgil said, putting his hood down and taking off his headphones to let them hang around his neck. "Sorry. I wasn't looking."

"I really didn't mean to scare you, though," Roman repeated. "I just got excited."

Virgil smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're here, at least."

Roman frowned. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No," Virgil said, "I just like the fact that you exist."

For a moment, Roman didn't know how to respond, as if his brain had malfunctioned. Virgil just laughed.

"Anyway, what are you doing?" Virgil asked, turning around to walk with them, with Logan and Patton still in front.

"We're going on some boat ride thing, I don't know, Logan wanted to do it," Roman said. "What are you doing? How come you're not at the hotel?"

"It's my day off," Virgil said. "So I'm walking around town by myself because I cannot stand to be around Remy right now, and Emile is working."

"What's up with Remy?"

"He keeps asking me about us and it's getting annoying at this point."

Roman smiled. "_Us_," he repeated.

"Shut up," grumbled Virgil, his cheeks turning a light shade of red. He took in a deep breath. "You're almost as bad as those two."

Roman just laughed. "Well, if you're not doing anything, why don't you come with us?"

Virgil frowned. "Come with you?"

"To the boat thingy," Roman clarified.

Virgil blinked. "Wouldn't I need a ticket?"

"We can get you a ticket, there's still some left," Roman said.

"In fact," Logan chimed in, "I know the person who runs the whole thing. I could call ahead to let her know that we're bringing one more person."

"But I wouldn't-"

"I'll pay for your ticket," Roman offered. "My treat."

Virgil glanced to the side. "You sure you guys would want me there?"

"Of course!" Patton said, turning around to give Virgil a big smile. "You're with Roman now, which makes you one of us."

"Huh." Virgil smiled. "Okay then. Thanks."

**11:02 **

One thing that Virgil had failed to mention - he was terrified of boats, and got awfully seasick. This didn't make a lot of sense, because he absolutely loved the sea and the waves and everything in it. But then again, most of Virgil's anxieties didn't make sense.

It was too late to say anything now, though, as the boat had just left the port and Virgil was finding it increasingly difficult to speak. He really should have said something earlier, but Roman seemed so happy to take Virgil with him, and he didn't want to let his boyfriend down.

Boyfriend. Huh. It felt good to be able to refer to Roman as that.

Virgil made his way to the middle of the boat and sat down on a bench, desperately clinging to the arm. The other three were at the side, looking out across the sea. It would've been nice for Virgil to join them and obverse the beauty himself, but he couldn't bring himself to stand up. God, Roman was probably so disappointed that he had invited him_ and_ paid for his ticket, and then he didn't even join him. Perhaps agreeing had let his boyfriend down_ more_ than just telling him that he didn't like boats would have.

Or maybe that was a stupid thought, and Virgil should just stop thinking. Yeah. Most of his thoughts were stupid, so it would make sense.

He felt the boat tip to one side, and all of a sudden his self-doubt disappeared, to be replaced with complete and utter fear. He had seen titanic. He knew how this would go - it was only a matter of time before he'd be in this ice cold water desperately clinging to a broken door instead of this bench, and he'd have to sacrifice himself to let his one true love live on.

But now the boat had begun to move smoothly again (well, as smoothly as it could move) and Virgil was feeling a little better. This was all just the anxiety talking, he was sure. Perhaps he shouldn't have agreed to come.

Logan sat down next to him, causing Virgil's eyes to drift down to the floor, locking on a wooden plank. Well, this was it. Logan was going to shout at him, and then he'd stop being friends with them all, and he'd have to go back to being alone in the world, no Roman to help him out. He should've known it was all too good to last. Sure, he'd still have Remy and Emile after all of this, but soon enough they'd realise how bad of a friend he is and abandon him too. He never should have agreed to do any of this.

"Are you doing alright, Virgil?" Logan asked, sitting straight and keeping a fair enough distance from him.

Virgil frowned. That wasn't what he had been expecting. In fact, Logan sounded... concerned? Not angry at all. Why wouldn't he be angry, though? Why on Earth would he be concerned?

"I'm guessing you're not a boat fan," Logan said.

Virgil sucked in a breath. Well, Logan wasn't wrong. But if he did confess that he wasn't a boat fan, Logan would question why he had agreed to come in the first place, then he'd get angry at him for wasting Roman's money, then he'd denounce their friendship, then Virgil would be all alone in the world again, then...

"It's okay, Virgil," Logan promised. "If you're afraid, you can tell us."

Tapping his finger on his knee, Virgil turned to Logan. He supposed there would be no harm in just telling Logan how much of a failure he was. It was too late to save himself now, anyway. "Yeah. I'm, uh, I get seasick pretty easily, and just being out on a tiny boat in the middle of nowhere is kinda terrifying, but before you get angry at me, I-"

"Why would I get angry at you?" Logan inquired.

Virgil paused for a moment, staring at Logan. "Because, uh, you guys invited me out here and I'm not even, like, hanging with you guys? There's literally no reason for me to be here?"

Logan frowned. "There's nothing wrong with being afraid, Virgil. I, myself, am terrified by the very thought of the ocean."

Virgil blinked. "But you-"

"Yeah, it's quite easy to overcome fears when you think about it logically," Logan said. "The reason the ocean scares me so much is because there is so much of it that hasn't been explored. It covers up the majority of our planet and yet we have no idea what is really out there. However, I am a man of science. I find that the best way to deal with something like this is to go and find out for yourself. And whilst my field of study is not marine biology or oceanography or anything of the sort, I still find trips like this helpful to understand that something as terrifying as the great depths of the ocean can also be beautiful, and that there really is not anything to be afraid of. It's not as if we are actually in the ocean, is it?"

The two sat in a silence for a short while, whilst Virgil took in what Logan has said. Finally, he began, "I love the sea."

Logan hummed. "Then why should you be so afraid of it?"

"I shouldn't," Virgil continued, "not really. The sea is beautiful and amazing and I love sitting and watching it. I love the sounds that it makes and the way that the stars shimmer on the surface. But I hate being trapped, and I suppose that is why I'm afraid right now."

"Well, why don't you come over to the side?" Logan suggested. "I could probably get Roman to hold your hand, if you would like. In fact, he would probably do it without cue."

Virgil let go of the arm of the bench. "Okay. Yeah. Sure."

Logan pushed his glasses up his nose. "Roman!" he called.

Roman immediately turned and came to them.

"Your boyfriend would like to join us at the side, but he needs a little help getting over there."

Roman smirked. "Does he want me to carry him?"

"No," Virgil quickly said, blushing a little. "Please don't."

Roman nodded. "I understand. Guess we'll just have to walk." He held out his hand. "So, do you trust me?"

"I don't trust anyone," Virgil replied, "but, uh, I guess I can make an exception for you." He took Roman's hand, who proceeded to pull Virgil to his feet and lead him to the side, their fingers twisted together, Roman holding on protectively.

And the ocean was beautiful. The waves sparkled in the sunlight, and all of a sudden Virgil felt at home again. With Roman besides him, he knew he was perfectly safe.

**12:36**

Patton discretely lowered his hand and interlocked his fingers with Logan's. The two were watching Roman and Virgil from a distance, almost acting like their parents.

"Patton-"

"I know, we shouldn't hold hands, Roman might find out," Patton guessed, still refusing to let go.

"That's not what I was going to say," Logan said.

Patton looked over at him. "Oh?"

"I'm tired of having to hide this from Roman. We should tell him," he suggested.

Patton's face immediately lit up. "Yes! We should!"

The couple walked over to where the other couple were standing, still clinging onto each other.

"Roman, I, uh, we have something to tell you," Patton said.

Roman turned around to face them, with Virgil moving a little to the side. "Yeah?"

"We dating," Logan blurted out. "Me and Patton are dating."

Roman raised his eyebrows, seemingly shocked. "Oh. That's cool. I, uh, kinda knew already, but thanks for telling me?"

Logan frowned. "You... what?"

"I've seen the way you look at each other," Roman said, "and the way that you act around each other. You're always going out without me on 'special outings', as you put it, Logan. Honestly I didn't even realise you were trying to hide it."

"Oh. Well." Logan looked at Patton, who also looked surprised by this. "That went well?"

Patton looked over at Logan and slowly formed a smile. Then, he leant closer, getting up on his tip toes to give Logan a tiny kiss. This left Logan a blushing idiot, and the other two staring at them, barely able to contain their laughter.

**17:01 **

The boat arrived back in port and Virgil realised it would soon be time for them all to part. But that was fine. He could go home and he'd be happy for once, and that would make his roommates happy as well. Well, either that or they'd make fun of him, but either way they'd be smiling. Virgil never thought he'd see a day where he cared about that, but his life truly was getting better.

This was all because of Roman. This beautiful person, who clearly wasn't able to take a hint (which worked out, at least) and would stay by his side no matter what.

God. Virgil really didn't deserve him.


	11. Day Eleven

**11:32**

Time was running out.

Virgil had been hard at work all day, unable to say even one word to Roman. They had caught eyes a couple times around the hotel, but they were always either too far away to say hello or Declan was around keeping an eye on Virgil. He hated it all so much. This was his last full day before Roman would be flying back home, and who knows when they would see each other again after that.

Maybe it had been a bad idea to pursue a relationship with Roman, knowing that it could only end in heartbreak.

Or maybe it was bad to think that way, when Roman has promised so many times that he _wouldn't _abandon Virgil. Sure, it seemed impossible, but maybe Roman could keep that promise. Maybe there was a way for them to stay together, nothing stopping them from true happiness.

...nah. That didn't sound realistic. Roman was leaving the island on a plane the next morning, and that was just the truth. Virgil had to accept the fact that there was no way to stop it. He couldn't do anything to stop it.

What he could do, however, was make the most of what little time he had.

Virgil reached into his pocket, brought out a notepad - the one he used when taking orders in the restaurant - and teared off a piece of paper. He then took out a pen and, leaning the paper against a wall, wrote a message in rushed, scrawly handwriting. He folded up the note and wrote 'Roman' on the cover, before beginning his journey around the hotel to find him.

But Roman was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he decided to improvise.

**11:41 **

Patton felt something land on his lap. He looked down to find a folded piece of paper, with the word 'Roman' written on top. Looking back up, he failed to see whoever could have dropped the note, but his mind immediately went to Virgil, however he was nowhere around. Still, he supposed he should find Roman and pass the note on.

The only problem with that was he had no idea where Roman was. As far as he was aware, Roman had left the hotel an hour or so ago, but hadn't told Patton where he had gone.

That would be fine though. He could always just leave the hotel and go look for Roman himse-

He spotted Logan on the other side of the hotel, going into the lobby. Immediately, Patton stood up from his sun bed and sprinted over, making it just in time before Logan left the hotel.

"Hey, Logan," he said, panting heavily.

Logan turned around. "Patton?"

"I, uh, are you going out?" Patton asked.

Logan nodded. "Yes. I just have one more sample I need to collect from the beach. Did you want to come along?"

Patton shook his head. "Nah, I'll let you get on with it, wouldn't want to ruin the science." He chuckled. "Unless you wanted me to come, of course," he added.

"I think I'd prefer to do this alone," Logan decided, "thank you."

"But, uh, also..." He held out the note. "If you see him, could you give this to Roman? I think it's from Virgil. Haven't read it myself, though."

Logan nodded. "I'd be more than happy to comply."

"Thanks, I love you."

Logan smiled. "I love you too."

**12:15 **

Logan had been wandering around the main area of the town for about ten minutes, but had yet to spot Roman anywhere. This _was _the place that Roman had said he was going to, so Logan had no idea why it was so difficult to find him. He must have been in _one _of these shops, right?

Well, the only way to find out was to go into one of the shops. He entered the first one he came across, which didn't actually seem to be a shop - more of an office, he assumed. There was a bubbly-looking man sat behind the counter wearing a light brown cardigan over a white shirt with a pink-and-blue striped tie.

"Can I help you?" the man asked.

"Sorry, I was just looking for my friend," Logan said, beginning to exit.

"Wait!" the man called, just before Logan could leave. "Are you Patton?"

Logan frowned. "No. I'm Logan. Are you a friend of Virgil's?"

The man nodded. "Yeah, he said a person called Patton or Logan might drop by later. Do you have a note?"

"Yes, I-"

"Give it to me, I can find Roman," he said. "I'm Emile, by the way. Emile Picani. I, uh, live with Virgil."

Logan nodded. "It's nice to meet you." He approached the desk and handed over the note. "Please make sure Roman gets this note. I don't want anything... bad happening, alright?"

"You got it," Emile replied. "Have fun on the rest of your holiday."

"Thank you. You have a nice day, too."

Logan left the building and continued his journey to the beach.

**12:34 **

Not two minutes after Logan left, Remy came bursting through the door and strutted up to the counter.

Emile let out a huge grin. "Starlight!"

"You wanted to see me?" Remy recalled, leaning over the desk so he was closer to Emile.

Emile leant forward and kissed his forehead. "You're always dragging me out so I thought, for once, I should initiate it."

Remy smiled. "You know I'd have come in here anyway."

"I know," he replied, beaming. "But, uh, I also have something to ask of you. Which is a new development, nothing to do with me calling you here, but I have a client coming in soon and won't have time."

"Huh. Well, I don't know if I'll have time, I have a pretty tight schedule, plus can I even be bothered? Hmm..."

"Remy."

"I'm just joking, darling," Remy said. "Of course, I'd do anything for you."

"I knew I could count on you, starlight!" He handed over the slip of paper. "Could you give this to Roman? If you know where he is, of course."

Remy blew a puff of air out his nose. "It just so happens that he's sat in the coffee shop next door."

Emile sighed with relief. "Good. Virgil seemed quite anxious about whether Roman would get the note when he texted me earlier."

"Virgil always seems anxious," Remy said, to which Emile just nodded in agreement, "but I'll get it to him, I promise."

"Good." Before Remy could leave, Emile added, "And you said you'd do anything for me, right?"

Remy rolled his eyes, but smiled anyway. He leant in for another kiss, a proper kiss, on that melted both of their souls into one. One that they often shared and yet still got better every time. Remy brought his hand up to Emile's face, stroking it gently, keeping him safe.

"Dr Picani?" a voice said from behind Remy.

Emile drew away and tilted his body to look around Remy. His client, Elliott, stood in the doorway, staring at the couple and looking slightly disturbed. Emile cleared his throat and moved away from Remy.

"I should go," Remy said, also moving away. "Good luck, darling." He left the building as Elliott stepped forward.

"Who was that?" they asked.

"Sorry, that was my boyfriend. He's a little touchy." Emile giggled. "I didn't realise you'd be here so early."

Elliott shrugged. "Well. Sorry."

"Don't apologise, there's nothing wrong with showing up early." Emile smiled. "We should head up to my office."

**12:50 **

Remy walked into the coffee shop next door and got in line for another cup of coffee - his fourth that day, he was pretty sure. That probably wasn't healthy, but it kept him moving and he was willing to sacrifice his physical stability to do that. He ordered and collected his coffee, immediately taking a sip, and then walked to the other side of the café, where Roman was sat with his laptop.

"_Hola, hermoso,_" he greeted, sitting down opposite him.

Roman looked up and sighed. "_Hola_, Remy."

"_¿Que estas escribiendo?_" he asked.

"None of your business," Roman replied.

Remy frowned. "_Extraño. _For once, you don't seem much for conversation."

"Today is my last day and I'm still not finished with this goddamn book," Roman said.

Remy raised an eyebrow. "Book?"

"The whole reason I came on this trip was to focus on my writing because the deadline for this novel is in, like, a month, but y'know, I've been kinda distracted."

"Ah." Remy drank some of his coffee. "Well, I'm not a writer so I don't know what to suggest, but I _am _a procrastinator and I find that the time I'm at my highest level of productivity is just before a deadline."

"I'm not a procrastinator, though," Roman said.

"Well, right now you're procrastinating by talking to me," Remy pointed out.

Roman sucked in a breath through his nose. "Remy, you're the one who came over and started talking to me. I do not want you over here."

"Oh no. I am heartbroken. You have broken my heart."

Roman sighed. "Sorry. I'm just a little stressed, okay?"

"Well..." Remy pursed his lips. "Good luck, I guess?"

Roman sighed again, but let out a small smile. "Thanks, Remy. I'll miss you."

"You'll miss Virgil more," Remy said.

He looked sad for a moment, before plastering on a smile. "Well, yeah, obviously, but I'll still keep in touch with him. With you as well, I hope?"

"Of course." Remy laughed. "I'll miss you too, girl." He reached into his pocket. "But, uh, speaking of Virgil, I have this for you." He placed the note on the table and slid it towards Roman, like they were doing a deal and Remy was attempting to bribe him with money.

Roman frowned and picked up the note.

"I'll leave you alone now," Remy said. "It was nice talking to you. Hope we can meet again." He stood up, grabbed his coffee, and began walking around. "_¡Adios!_"

**12:59 **

Roman carefully opened the note and slowly read it's content, savouring every word, every letter, every curve, every line. It was from Virgil, he was sure about that. The handwriting was messy and rushed, the letters all joined together, almost blending into one another. It must have been some sort of cursive, but without the care that most people (namely, Roman) would put into it. He clearly hadn't had much time to write it, and probably hadn't had time to properly think. He was desperate to get his message out.

The message read: _Roman, meet me at the beach tonight, 10pm. Usual spot. _

At the very end of the note, just below the writing, he had drawn a small heart.

**22:00 **

Virgil had been sat on the beach for ten minutes, just waiting. Remy had told him that Roman had received the note, so he had no doubts that he would show up. Unless Virgil had done something terribly wrong - which, to be fair, he wouldn't be surprised - Roman should be showing up any minute now.

And just like that, Roman sat down besides him. Right on time.

"Hiya, Verge," Roman greeted, a bright smile across his face.

Virgil gave him a small smile in return. "Hey, Ro."

"So. You sent a note."

Virgil laughed a little. "Yeah. I just wanted to see you alone before you left."

"I get it." Roman looked up at the sky. "I'm glad you did, anyway. I think I'd have gone insane if we hadn't got a final chance to meet."

Feeling brave, Virgil wrapped his arm around Roman's back and pulled his closer. "This is probably the best week and a half I've ever had."

"Me too, honestly." Roman sighed. "I love you, Virgil."

And all of a sudden, he broke down. All his emotions came pouring out his body, no longer able to stay buried deep down. He had been hit with the realisation that Roman was going to be _gone_. The one time he _truly _fell in love with some who _truly _love him back, it couldn't last. He had let Roman into his life and couldn't bare the idea of letting him leave.

His face was wet with tears, dripping down into Roman. He unwrapped his arms and looked away, trying to stop his eyes from leaking. Roman didn't need to see this. He didn't want to make Roman upset as well. _God_ he was so stupid, he never should have-

"Virgil, I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"You don't have to be sorry," Virgil interrupted. He breathed in and out several times to regain control over his body, and wiped his tears away the best he could.

"I mean, if you don't feel the same way, I totally understand. I-"

"Shut up, you idiot." Virgil sighed, turning back to Roman. "I love you too. And I _hate _the fact the you're going to be leaving tomorrow."

Roman shuffled closer to Virgil, gently placing a hand in his shoulder. "Hey. I _promise _that we'll see each other again, okay?"

He turned his head again, looking out to the sea. "What makes you think you can keep that promise."

"I can visit the island," Roman said. "I could even move here. Or you could move to America. We could..." He reached down and lifted up Virgil's hands, gripping them tightly, unwilling to let him go. "We could start a life together.

Virgil looked back up, tears glistening in his eyes. "You.. You mean that?"

"Of course I do," Roman promised. "I mean, if you're willing to leave the island, I have been waiting to find someone who'd move in with me. It gets a little lonely in my apartment."

The tears had stopped now, but Virgil's heart wouldn't calm down. He didn't say anything else, but hoped that Roman understood what he felt. Instead, he leaped forward into Roman's arms, enclosing him in a hug, and pressed his lips against his. The two melted into one another, and they could never have been happier.

The moon was high in the sky, watching down on them. The stars twinkled up above, reflecting into the ocean. It was a perfect night for two people to fall in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPANISH TRANSCRIPT:  
Remy: Hello, beautiful.  
Roman: Hello, Remy.  
Remy: What are you writing?
> 
> Remy: Strange


	12. Day Twelve

**6:00 **

Virgil's alarm went off and he got out of bed. He hadn't actually been sleeping and he wasn't at all tired, so for once this wasn't the hardest task in the world. Although, he knew that the true motivation for him getting up so early was because this was his final chance to see Roman before he left, and he didn't want to miss his chance.

He left his room and entered the kitchen. No coffee. Emile wasn't up yet. Huh. Virgil was never up before Emile.

That was fine, though. Virgil knew how to make coffee. And perhaps Emile would be happy that someone else was making the morning drinks for once. He began to fill up the coffee machine for him and Remy, and then moved to the other side of the kitchen to begin making Emile's hot chocolate. Once he made Emile's drink, he returned to the coffee machine and poured out the two cups.

Soon enough, his roommates entered the kitchen.

"Oh, morning Virgil," Emile greeted. "You're up early."

Virgil nodded and stuffed his hands in his hoodie pockets - since he hadn't actually slept, he'd already showered and gotten changed. "I wanted to get off early. Think Roman's leaving a couple hours before my shift."

Emile smiled, sadly. "At least you'll have one last chance to see him."

"Yeah, yeah." He leant against the counter. "But we'll see each other again, anyway. We were talking last night about me possibly moving over to America."

Emile raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah," Virgil confirmed, "he said he'd been looking for a roommate, or something. I dunno, though. Like, I'd have to find a way to get over there, and I don't even know if I'd have enough money, and-"

"Virgil, you should do this," Emile encouraged. "It'd be good for you. You've been wanting to move for ages, right?"

"Yeah. Move somewhere on _this island_. Moving to a different country is a whole other thing."

He grabbed his coffee cup and drank it in one go. Upon seeing Virgil do this, Emile moved to the other side of the kitchen to drink his hot chocolate, quietly thanking Virgil on the way. Virgil began to pour out another cup of coffee.

"I know you, Virgil," Emile said, placing his cup back down. "I know that, as much as you love this island, you want to explore. You want to see the world. And you've been given this chance, so I think you should take it."

Virgil smiled. "Maybe I will."

**7:45 **

Roman, Logan and Patton all left the hotel, dragging their suitcases behind them. The bus to take them to the airport was arriving at eight, but they wanted to be there early. And it was good thing they were.

Virgil was stood at the bus stop as well. Upon locking eyes with Roman, a huge grin grew across his face.

Roman ran up towards him, abandoning his suitcases in the car park, and threw his arms over his shoulders, enclosing him in a tight hug. They stayed there for a few moments, basking in each other's warmth, until the other two came up besides them, Logan now dragging Roman's suitcase as well.

"I didn't want you to leave without me saying a proper goodbye," Virgil explained. "And also to give you this." He handed over a slip of paper, which, upon opening, Roman learned contained his phone number. "Call me at some point, promise?"

Roman smiled. "Promise."

Virgil looked over at the other two, who were stood touching shoulders and holding hands. He couldn't help but smile at seeing another two people happy. "I'm gonna miss you guys, too."

Patton smiled. "We'll miss you too, Virgil."

"Yes. I do hope you stay in contact with us as well," Logan added.

Virgil let out a short, soft laugh. "Of course I will." He turned back to Roman. "And, uh, we'll be seeing each other again soon, I hope?"

"Trust me," Roman said, taking Virgil's hands, "I'm already counting down the days."

"We don't... We don't have a date set."

"I know. It was an expression."

"Okay." Virgil sighed. Out the corner of his eye, he noticed the bus turn round the corner. "Well, keep in touch, okay? It'll probably be a while before I can sort everything out."

"I'll be with you every step of the way," Roman promised, for the third time. Virgil fully believed him.

The bus pulled up, but Virgil was unwilling to let go of Roman's hands. The two moved closer to one another and shared a kiss, deep and passionate, one that could make up for the months, or maybe years that they would be apart. They wished that they could have paused that moment and stayed there forever. Neither of them was ready to let go.

They didn't have a choice, though. Roman was returning home and Virgil had to stay.

They drew apart and Roman got on the bus, along with Logan and Patton, leaving Virgil alone. They never said goodbye - it would have been too painful to hear. Besides, this wasn't goodbye. They were going to see each other again. Everything was going to be fine.

Virgil watched the bus drive away and tried to hold back his tears. He stayed outside the hotel for a while after, replaying the past week and a half in his mind. It had gone by too quickly, and yet the memories seemed too slow, like a dream.

It hadn't been a dream, though. It was real, and now it was over.

**9:30 **

Declan looked up as Virgil walked into the lobby, right on time for once. He knew that Virgil had been there for a while, though. He had seen him sat outside, and more importantly seen him saying goodbye to a guest.

"Morning, Virgil," Declan greeted. "How are you doing?"

Virgil frowned. "I'm alright," he said, coming up to the desk. "Why?"

Declan shrugged. "Saw you outside. Seemed like you were crying."

"Oh." Despite his nonchalant manner, Declan could tell that had worried Virgil. "Just tired, I think."

"I also saw you taking to one of the guests that left this morning," Declan added.

Virgil seemed to be holding his breath.

"Care you explain?" Declan asked.

He breathed out and looked to the ground, clearly trying to avoid eye contact. "We were childhood friends. When he arrived here, we started talking again, and, y'know, things happened. I know you're touchy about having relationships with guests and stuff, but, well, we already knew each other, so-"

"It's alright, Virgil." Declan knew that he was telling the truth, for the first time since those guests had arrived. "I appreciate your honesty. It wasn't exactly hard to tell that something was going on."

"Yeah," Virgil said. "I'm sorry for not coming clean earlier, I guess. And, uh, I hope you-"

"I'm not going to fire you," Declan said, causing Virgil to sigh with relief. "Just tell me next time, okay?"

"I doubt there'll be a next time, but okay," Virgil said. "Thank you."

Declan smiled briefly, then returned to his usual face, devoid of emotion. "Now, get to work. I don't pay you to stand around talking to me."

Virgil chuckled. "Yes, Sir." He turned to go to the locker room. "See you."

**11:23**

Roman had arrived back home late at night, and had drove down to the local beach, half-an-hour away. It wasn't as good as the beach on the island, but it was nice enough. And he still wasn't ready to let go of Virgil.

He sat down and looked at the sea, shimmering in the moonlight, thousands of stars reflecting off its gentle waves. A part of him thought that, just maybe, Virgil was sat by the sea as well.


	13. Epilogue

**Several Months Later **

Virgil smiled and accepted the FaceTime request.

"Virgil!" Roman greeted, also smiling.

"Roman," Virgil replied, moving to sit on the couch.

"Are you all packed?" Roman asked.

"I've been packed for the past month," Virgil joked - although, he had been packed for two weeks, so it was almost true. "We're leaving in, like, an hour or so. Emile's driving me up to the airport."

"Where is Emile?" Roman asked. "And Remy?"

"They've just gone round to the shops. Giving me some alone time in the apartment, I think," he said. "I have lived here for, like, most of my adulthood. Glad to get out, though, honestly."

"And those two can't also move here with you?" Roman said.

Virgil laughed. "Nah. They have a life here. Emile loves his work and Remy refuses to go anywhere without him. They promised that they'd visit regularly."

"Good," Roman said. "I miss Remy."

"How are Logan and Patton?" Virgil asked.

"Same as always," Roman replied. "Somehow gayer. They just moved into a bigger house. Been talking about adopting."

Virgil's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah," Roman confirmed. "Now that Logan's finished his paper, they have more time to focus on their own life, y'know? Build a family. Patton's all for it, of course. He's always wanted children."

"That's good," Virgil said. "I'm happy for them."

"Me too."

"So, how's your work going?" Virgil asked.

Roman grinned. "I actually just received the hardback copy last week! It's being released at the start of next month."

"Dude, that's great!" Virgil couldn't help but smile. They'd had many late-night phone calls as Roman complained about writing this book, and he was happy that it was all done now. "I'm proud of you."

Roman blushed. "Thanks. But, uh, what about you?"

"Quit my job last week," Virgil said. "Y'know, since I'm moving and all. Declan didn't seem to mind. Wished me good luck and all that. Not really close enough to any of the other employees to care, but Nate said he'd miss me."

"Are you going to miss the hotel?" Roman asked.

"Nah. Glad to be leaving, honestly," he answered. "I only worked there 'cause it payed well enough and I was saving up to move out. Hopefully when I'm with you I can find a job that involves less people. Already started looking, at least."

Roman smiled. "I can't wait for that. For you to be over here, I mean."

"Me neither."

For a moment, they just stared at each other fondly, smiling. They'd be together again soon enough.

**The Next Day **

It was early in the morning when Virgil's plane landed, and he was a little delirious from little sleep. That didn't matter though, because as soon as he laid eyes on Roman standing in the airport, ready to take him home, everything else faded away. He ran up to his one true love and basically jumped into his arms, locking their lips together to continue that kiss from months before. They were together and that was all that mattered. This time, there was nothing that could pull them apart.

Virgil had loved his island and he had loved the sea, but perhaps he had found someone who he loved even more.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that y'all enjoyed that! Thank you so much for reading~


End file.
